


Second Heartbeat

by dreamer1024



Category: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII, Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Brought this over from Quizilla, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-04-30
Updated: 2016-05-20
Packaged: 2018-06-05 12:11:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 17
Words: 45,446
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6704059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dreamer1024/pseuds/dreamer1024
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In a sleepy town in Virginia, five young women are murdered. The investigation takes the town's inhabitants to a dark world revolving around four mysterious newcomers, a detective, and a young woman trapped between the world of the living and the world of the dead.</p><p>Reader x Various</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Something Wicked This Way Comes

**Author's Note:**

> A popular story on Quizilla that I'd like to post in case any of my old readers are here :3 my username on QZ was dreamer1024, and then mangosherbert01. 
> 
> Options are: Zack, Axel, Roxas, Vanitas, Ven, and Noctis. No, Kadaj isn't an option. It's nothing personal but the entire series is already written!
> 
> It's AU, all characters are in their 20s, and there are some dark matters to this story... 
> 
> ♥ Alexia

The most essential thing that needs to be understood about Dover Hills is the fog. Every night, especially in the winter, the small town is draped in a thick layer of inescapable fog that cloaks its surroundings and protects all adversaries lurking in the shadows. The forest on the edge of the village is the most unsettling, covered in fog even during the warmest of afternoons. Ghost stories and tales of monsters roaming in the night are told by all, and believed by all. Even the most skeptic of people cannot deny that the town has been visited by the supernatural, its mark left in many ways. 

Only those with a death wish leave their homes at night. Even the most rebellious of boys refuse to step outside, fearful of the creatures that wait in the darkness. Though Dover Hills is a beautifully sleepy town over a century old, it cannot be denied that something is amiss. And, whether or not anyone was willing to admit it, the whispers of the night were building to a dull roar.

This is why, as a young woman roamed the streets alone one October night, people peered from their windows and murmured a prayer as they bade goodbye to the girl; she would certainly never be seen again. She shrugs further into her dilapidated coat as she enters the forest at the edge of the town, half of her body drowning in dense fog. The only sound that can be heard is the whistling of the wind through the tall trees surrounding her. She cannot see her feet through the white fog as she walks, but she’s able to stay on the path without trouble. It was dangerous work, but as the youngest daughter she was expected to fetch wood for the dying fire currently crackling in her home.

Bone-chilling laughter suddenly echoes throughout the woods, and the girl comes to a stop with a loud gulp. Slowly, she turns around as muffled footsteps can be heard behind her. She’s met with nothing but darkness and the shadows of tree branches. The last thing she sees is a flash of red behind her before something attaches to her neck. She tries to scream, but she’s lifeless within seconds.

A sad fate for a foolish girl. 

❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ 

_31 October 1802 The Virginia Gazette Fifth Woman in Three Days Found Completely Drained of Blood Authorities in Dover Hills were startled by the discovery of a young woman perished in the forest. There was no blood left in her body, and no visible wounds. It is being advised that all citizens, especially women, should stay indoors for the time being and not answer the door at night. Any information—_

“Blech,” you groan, shoving the morning paper away from you on your dining table.

Five murders. Five young girls that would never marry, fall in love, come home again… it was much too depressing to read so early in the morning, especially since all but one was younger than your 20 years.

“What’s wrong?” your older brother asks, peering over his novel to glance over at you from the other side of the table.

“Oh… nothing. Another girl was killed last night,” you inform him.

He shakes his head, sighing as he takes a bite of his porridge. 

“I wish we knew who was committing these acts. I don’t want to even step outside anymore.”

You can’t help but roll your eyes at his statement.

“You know they aren’t attacking men… right?” you question.

He raises his eyebrows, but before he can respond the sound of approaching footsteps echo throughout the room. You both immediately stand as your father enters, his hands clasped behind his back as he comes to a stop in the doorway. His sandy-white hair is hanging over his shoulders, mixing beautifully with his red suit jacket.

“Good morning, Father,” you and your brother chime in unison.

He gestures for the two of you to sit down, which you eagerly do.

“I would like both of you dressed in your finest this evening. The Governor is coming for dinner.”

“But-“

“No arguing! You are set to marry his son, and no amount of protestation will change my mind!” your father snaps before he marches into the kitchen, the door swinging shut behind him. 

You huff as you sink down in your seat, suddenly looking very much like a pouty child. You glance down at your hand as your brother gently grabs it in his, squeezing your fingers reassuringly. He is all too aware of the miserable fate ahead of you, should you actually marry your insufferable fiancé.

“I still think we can find some way out of this,” your brother tells you, sounding uncharacteristically kind.

You smile, nodding your head even though you know he’s bluffing.

“Thank you, Hayner…”

❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ 

The dinner was just as excruciating as you imagined. Your father and Governor Sephiroth Zedler were the only two at the table having a great time, chatting and laughing. Your mother (step-mother, actually… but this will be explained later) was busily chugging wine while she listened to the Governor’s wife prattle on about the upcoming Ball. Hayner and Kadaj Zedler, your nightmare of a fiancé, glared daggers at each other for the entire meal while you picked at your food, unable to bring yourself to eat. It was a depressing sight, to say the least. Who knew that the Mayor of a town such as Dover Hills would hold such dull dinner parties?

“So, [Name],” Kadaj coos in your ear, his booted foot sliding up your dress, “will I be spending the night tonight?”

He’s staring down at you with a wide smirk, and it takes everything in you not to reach over and slap the stupid out of him. Instead, you smile innocently as you adjust your legs so that his foot is forced out of your long dress.

“Sorry, I don’t believe in sharing a bed with a man until we’re married,” you lie, batting your eyelashes.

He doesn’t need to know that your best (male) friend sleeps over all the time (… again, another story for a different day).

“Ah, that’s right. Sometimes I forget that I’m inheriting an innocent girl free of corruption.”

You can hear Hayner choke on his chicken at Kadaj’s words, knowing it to be completely untrue, but you just continue to smile fakely.

“Yes, you are,” you agree, turning your attention back to your picked over meal.

Suddenly, like an angel descending from heaven to answer your prayers, one of the maids comes bustling into the room with a panicked expression.

“I-I’m so sorry to interrupt, but there’s something you need to see,” she stammers, her hands clasped together in front of her chest.

“I’ll go!” you and Hayner offer at the same time, standing up. 

“No, this is something that Miss Webster will handle better,” she decides, her eyes darting towards you.

You nod solemnly, doing your best not to grin as you place your napkin on the table and start to walk out of the room. Your shoes cannot be seen under the thick fabric of your long white dress, but the clacking of your heels can be heard against the wooden floorboards.

“I’ll be back soon,” you call to your family and guests as you enter the kitchen, almost immediately flinging your arms around the maid.

“Thank you so much, Xion!” you gush as she awkwardly pats your back.

“I wasn’t lying, actually. There is something you need to see,” Xion states.

“Oh…” you murmur, dropping your arms as you take a step back to study the short-haired girl. “What’s wrong?”

“Follow me.”

She walks through the kitchen, down the dark hallway, and finally enters the salon. Your eyes widen as they spot a man sprawled out on the brown couch. He’s wrapped in a tan blanket and shivering slightly, drenched from the rain pouring outside presumably.

“Who is he?” you ask quietly, since he has yet to have spotted you and Xion in the doorway.

“I don’t know. I found him in the backyard, sitting in the rain.”

“And you let him inside?!” you hiss. “There’s a mad-man out there killing girls!”

“Oh no, not him. He’s really good-looking.”

You slap your forehead with your palm, shaking your head as she starts to smile.

“Attractive people can be psychopaths, Xion,” you tell her before stepping inside of the room.

With a deep breath you walk towards the sleeping male, careful not to wake him. He looks so peaceful, you muse as you kneel before him. A smile grows on your face as you lean in closer to the stranger, gently brushing some stray bangs from his face. His hair is darker than the night’s sky and rather shaggy, as if it hasn’t been cut in weeks. He must be homeless, you conclude, but that wouldn’t explain his impeccable hygiene and surprisingly nice clothes. Even though his eyes are shut you can tell he’s attractive, resembling a God more than a mere mortal. As you continue to study the male, you almost have a heart attack when his eyes suddenly open. You’re drowning in a deep blue that almost glows in the dark as his eyes bore into yours.

“I-I’m sorry,” you stammer, though you’re not quite sure why you’re apologizing. “You were found sleeping outside of my house.”

“I was?” he asks in a raspy voice, as if he hasn’t spoken for days. You nod as he sits up straight, a sheepish look on his exhausted face. “I don’t remember that at all… Where am I?”

“Dover Hills,” you reply. “You’re in the Mayor’s house, actually.”

“Mayor, huh?” he repeats, a small smirk toying on his lips. “Pardon me, Miss, but you look a bit too young to be Mayor.”

He flashes you a dazzling grin, complete with flawlessly white teeth. Realizing he’s kidding, you smile a bit as you shift awkwardly in your kneeling position.

“I’m the Mayor’s daughter,” you clarify.

“Yeah, I figured,” he agrees. “Well thanks for the couch but uh… where’s this Dover Hills?”

You frown slightly.

“… Virginia,” you explain slowly, and his eyes widen.

“Wow, I’m far from home,” he laughs, dropping the warm blanket back on the couch as he stands up. “Must’ve walked further than I realized…”

“Where’s home for you?” you ask as you stand up as well.

“Texas.”

A country boy… that explains his laid-back demeanor. Not his look, though. He’s dressed like he comes from a good home and money, not like a poor traveler.

“I’ll be getting out of your hair now, ma’am. Sorry for bothering you,” he adds as he brushes past you.

Against your better judgment you reach out and grab his arm, stopping him in his tracks. He glances down at your hand, and with an embarrassed cough you release his arm.

“I’m not going to send you back outside in the rain. There’s a spare bedroom here, you’re more than welcome to stay the night,” you tell him.

He raises an eyebrow, a mixture of amusement and surprise crossing his face.

“Do you usually allow strange men to sleep in your home?”

Your eyes narrow as he starts to chuckle good-naturedly, taking a step towards you.

“I’m making a joke, Miss. Your hospitality is much appreciated.” 

“Oh,” you murmur, nodding slowly as you lead him out of the small room. “No, this really isn’t something I do very often,” you admit quietly, wondering just why you’ve extending such a generous offer to a total stranger. Something in his eyes was just so trusting, you couldn’t let him wander off by himself!

“He’s staying?” Xion asks in surprise as the two of you walk into the hallway.

“Yes, would you mind showing him up to the spare bedroom?” you request, and the girl quickly nods before shuffling down the hallway. “There will be food downstairs, should you get hungry,” you add to the male.

“You really are much too kind,” he muses with a smile. “What’s your name, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“[Name] Webster,” you introduce.

He continues to grin as he takes your gloved hand in his, gently pressing a kiss against your knuckles.

“Pleasure to meet you,” he greets, slowly releasing your hand before he turns on his heel and follows your flustered maid.

“Wait!” you call out, causing him to stop and glance over his shoulder. “What’s your name?”

He smirks slightly, his head still halfway turned so that you can only see half of his face.

“Zack. Zack Fair.”

Without another word he turns the corner, disappearing into another hallway and leaving you standing alone. There was something… different about the man, like an other-worldliness you’ve never faced before and was impossible to define. Maybe this is just how Texans are, you think to yourself as you walk back towards the dining room.

❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈

With an exasperated sigh, Zack runs a hand down the side of his face. The Webster house was nice enough, but he did expect something a little more showy from the Mayor. An uncomfortable prickle runs up Zack’s spine as he walks past Ansem and Leblanc Webster’s bedroom ([Name] and Hayner’s parents, as he was introduced earlier in the evening), and he finds himself subconsciously picking up his pace.

A small smile grows at the sight of your bedroom, at the end of the hall. Your door is cracked open, and throwing all manners out the window Zack finds himself peering in. There you are, dead asleep in the middle of your bed. Even in the midst of your slumber you resemble an angel, filled with peace and innocence. The veins around Zack’s eyes start to pulsate and darken uncomfortably the longer he watches you, his fingers practically twitching as he takes a step closer to you. Within seconds he’s kneeling by your bed, a familiar tingle spreading through his mouth and nostril as he rests his face near your exposed neck, inhaling deeply. Your scent is intoxicating, enough to drive the older man crazy.

‘No,’ he thinks to himself, pulling back as he clasps a hand over his mouth. His body starts to calm down as his heart races, threatening to jump right out of his chest. ‘Not yet…’

You stir in your sleep, feeling eyes watching you. When you turn around, glancing at your empty room, you sigh in relief, immediately falling back asleep.

Across town, however, a young blonde woman shoots up in bed. Shining blue eyes are seared into her mind, watching her like a lion stalking its prey.

“ _They are coming_ …”


	2. (Un)Happy Reunion

It turns out that Zack is the ideal houseguest. He makes his bed in the morning (in fact, it looked like he hadn’t even touched his bed!), he helps out with the chores, and he even makes breakfast for you and your brother. You were still wary of the man and his indefinable perfection, but it was hard to distrust him. After breakfast he requested a tour of your town, and you found yourself more than happy to oblige. 

Who could say no to such an eager face?

“This place is really old, isn’t it?” Zack asks as the two of you pass the church.

The church is a relatively small, white building, with a white picket fence surrounding it. Red flowers are blooming all around, in the middle of a lush green field.

“One of the oldest towns in America,” you agree with a nod.

“Such towns come with a lot of… history, right?” he presses with a raise of his eyebrows.

“What do you mean?”

“Oh… You know. I’m sure Virginia isn’t that much different than Texas. All of our old cities have a lot of tales of monsters and creatures of the night.”

You glance up at him, a bewildered expression on your face. He laughs slightly, shaking his head.

“Okay, I guess not,” he chuckles.

“No… No, there are lots of stories. I just don’t know how you’ve heard of them,” you point out.

He merely looks down at you with a smirk, not divulging whatever is running through his mind. Luckily for him, someone calling out your name serves as the perfect distraction. You turn around, smiling when you spot your best and oldest friend jogging towards you. The hat resting atop his blond head almost falls off as he comes to a stop in front of you, his eyes narrowed at a frowning Zack.

“Good morning, Ven,” you greet with a smile.

He and Zack turn to you.

“Ven?” Zack repeats, glancing between you and the confused blond.

“Yeah, that’s my name,” Ven laughs. “And… who are you?”

“This is Zack. He’s… new to town,” you introduce. Truthfully, you had no idea how long he was planning on staying. But he doesn’t correct you. “Zack, this is Ven. My… friend.”

Zack looks completely perplexed, but the smile is soon on his face as he nods at the blond.

“Sorry, you just look like this guy I know…” Zack mutters, shaking his head a little. “I’ll, uh… leave you guys to it. See you back at home?”

“Do you know how to get back?” you ask as Zack starts to walk away.

“I’ll figure it out,” he calls out, waving lazily at the two of you as he continues on his way.

“Good looking guy,” Ven notes as soon as Zack is clearly down the street.

“Oh, stop,” you complain, rolling your eyes. “He’s just a traveler from Texas.”

“Who you’re letting stay at your house…” Ven finishes.

“If you’re going to keep acting like this, I’m just going to leave,” you huff, brushing past the male as you walk back towards the church.

Ven laughs, grabbing your arm to stop you.

“Okay okay, I’m sorry! It’s just… doesn’t something seem a little off about that guy?”

“Like what?” you ask as Ven’s hand slides off of your arm.

“… I don’t know. Can’t put my finger on it. But something’s different,” Ven concludes with a nod.

“Maybe you’re just _jeal-ous_ ,” you tease, giggling as Ven shoots you a dirty look.

“Hey, the only person I’m jealous of is that jerk Kadaj,” Ven admits as the two of you start to walk down the street.

“Don’t even mention that guy,” you mutter darkly, staring down at your hands.

“So, last night didn’t go well?” Ven guesses.

“Unless you count getting sexually harassed underneath the dinner table ‘going well’, then no,” you reply.

Ven sighs, rubbing your arm gently as you glance up at him.

“I promise [Name], someday you and I are finally gonna get outta this town. Together,” he tells you quietly, his usually chipper tone deadly serious.

He’s been making this promise for over a decade now, after the decision was made for you to marry the eldest Zedler child. You know he’s kidding, but each time your heart flutters with the promise of an impossible but happy future.

“I know, Ven,” you murmur as he leans down to gently kiss your cheek. “I know...”

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ 

“So, why are we here?” a blond male speaks up, glancing over at his redheaded counterpart.

The second man looks up from his gaze on the ground, shrugging his shoulders lazily.

“Dunno. You got the same message I did.”

“ _Come to the Hills of Dover, or your life as an immortal will soon be over_ ,” the blond recites, remembering the dream that came to he and his friend. “Do you think we’re the only ones who received that message?”

“Doesn’t seem that way,” the redhead muses, nodding towards the town.

The blond follows his gaze, narrowing his blue eyes at the sight of a familiar raven-haired male walking with a young woman. Even from their hiding place in the forest, it's impossible to miss the smile of a character from their past.

“Fair?! Thought he was killed,” the blond notes.

“Guess he wasn’t. Now, how long are we gonna hide out in the woods? This fog is drenching my socks,” the redhead complains, glancing down at his feet.

“There’s more at stake than your socks, Axel!” the blond snaps.

“Hey, keep it down! If we scare people off from the forest, we lose out on a meal,” Axel points out.

“No one’s coming near this place with a ten foot pole after your little feast last night. I say we go down to the town.”

“And talk to that delicious woman,” Axel adds, licking his lips as he watches the young woman talking between Zack and an unknown blond. “Doesn’t she look delectable?”

“We’re not killing her,” the blond argues, his gaze locked on the woman. “We’re not killing anyone else until we talk to some people, find out what’s going on. Hiding out in the forest won’t solve anything.”

The blond quickly darts out from behind the tree, sauntering down the hill and towards the town in the distance. Axel sighs, shoving his hands into the pockets of his black slacks as he follows.

“You’re no fun, Roxas!” Axel calls out, wondering how he got paired up with the wet blanket in the first place.

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ 

Zack peers over his shoulder, watching as you chat excitedly with the blond named Ven. His resemblance towards Roxas is astounding, the two could be twins. Had Roxas maybe taken on a new identity in a new town? No, there’s no way the typically sullen Roxas could come off so bubbly and happy. It had to just be a doppelganger, Zack concludes as he turns his attention back ahead.

“Whoa,” he mutters, accidentally walking right into someone. He glances down at the shorter male, his eyes widening in recognition. “Roxas?!”

The blond in front of him smirks slightly, tilting his head.

“Long time, Zack. How are you?” Roxas asks.

“Fine. How’s your brother?” Zack retorts, and Roxas’ blue eyes narrow. Before he can snap back a witty response, a familiar redhead comes jogging towards the duo. “Axel,” Zack adds in greeting.

“What are you doing here?” Axel asks, not winded whatsoever from the quick run.

“I’m assuming we’re here for the same reason. _The Hills of Dover_?” Zack guesses.

Roxas and Axel exchange surprised glances.

“You had the same dream?” Roxas finally asks.

“Yeah. And, since I rather like my immortality, I got here as soon as possible. Even made friends with the Mayor’s daughter. Mayor _Webster_.”

He nods behind him with a grin, where you and Ven are walking away arm-in-arm in the opposite direction.

“Webster?!” Axel repeats in shock. “Guess she’s off limits then…”

“Don’t even get me started. You should smell her, it’s intoxicating,” Zack muses with a content sigh.

“Can we focus?” Roxas complains, placing his hands on his hips. “Why are we here, anyway? This just seems like a creepy, old town.”

“No, something weird is going on, I can sense it. The people here are hiding something,” Zack argues.

“Care to explain?” Axel asks dryly.

“Well… I can’t put my finger on it yet. But with your guys’ help, maybe I can!”

“Yeah yeah, we’ll rent a room at the motel and meet you… at the church?” Roxas suggests, glancing over at the white building.

Zack rolls his eyes.

“You and I both know we can’t set foot in there. I don’t feel like catching on fire today.”

“I think he meant outside the church,” Axel clarifies as Roxas storms off in the opposite direction.

“… Oh. Alright then!” Zack agrees, nodding at the redhead before he takes off, following you and Ven at a safe distance.

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ 

“Where are you going?” you ask from your perching place on a rocking chair on your front porch as Zack storms out of your front door.

Zack pauses, not realizing you were sitting there. It was a daily ritual, to watch the sun set and ponder just what creatures are lurking beyond the border of the forest near your home.

“Oh, um… Meeting up with some friends,” he replies, turning towards you with a smile.

“You made friends already?!” you repeat excitedly, sitting up straight in your chair. “Who are they? Do I know them?”

“No, they’re uh… visiting. ” 

“Oh…” you mutter, a look of disappointment crossing your face.

“Wanna come?” Zack blurts out.

“Really?” you ask as you slowly stand to your feet.

“Yeah, why not,” Zack agrees, knowing full well that Roxas and Axel will wring his neck after this. “Actually, you might be able to help,” he adds as the two of you make your way down the path leading away from your house.

“How so?”

“Well, for starters… Are there any supernatural tales about this place?”

Wondering why he’s asked you this two times in one day, you frown slightly before finally nodding slowly.

“Yeah, tons,” you reply.

“Perfect,” Zack muses with a smirk.

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

“Who’s that redhead with Ven?” you ask, tilting your head as you stare at the two figures sulking around at a safe distance from the church.

“Ven…? Oh no, that’s not Ven!” Zack corrects, laughing lightly. “This is Roxas, and Axel. My… friends.”

The pause between words catches you off-guard, but you’re too busy thinking to really notice it. These two men are attractive, no doubt about it, and wearing similarly nice clothes like Zack’s. The three standing before you are like nothing you’ve ever seen before; exuding confidence, strength, and, though it was weird to think, power.

“Pleasure,” Axel quickly replies, grabbing your hand in a soft shake.

He raises your hand to his lips, a faint spark in his emerald eyes. You can swear he takes a deep inhale of your scent, but you immediately brush it off as a tired delusion. The blond merely nods at you in greeting as the redhead drops your hand, a satisfied smirk on his face.

“Who, uh… Who are you?” Roxas asks, his eyebrows raised slightly as he shoots Zack an unreadable glance.

“[Name],” you respond.

“[Name] _Webster_. The Mayor’s daughter, the one I told you about earlier,” Zack adds excitedly.

“How could we forget?” Roxas responds with a sly smile.

“So, it’s sad about all those girls that have been found dead, huh?” Axel asks.

You swear you can see Roxas reach out and kick his shin as Zack’s eyes widen slightly.

“How did you-“

“We read it in the paper,” Roxas quickly interrupts you. “It sounds like a lot of strange things happen here…”

You shrug slightly, leaning an elbow on the picket fence of the church behind you.

“I guess. It’s the forest surrounding our town. Creatures live in there, preying on the weak,” you reply.

“Do they?” Zack asks.

“Oh, yes. It’s common knowledge for us in Dover Hills. There’s plenty of culprits… Headless Nell, the dark creatures, the Butcher… Women drained completely of their blood is a new one, though.”

The three men are studying you with mouth’s wide open, not used to hearing a woman speak so nonchalantly about such matters.

“So, it’s uh… normal for people to show up dead?” Axel inquires.

“Sadly. Dover Hills isn’t a place for the weak or foolish.”

“Well, my friend and I are _very_ interested in the paranormal. We might just stay here for awhile,” Roxas decides, gesturing between he and Axel.

“I think you’d like it. But there are some people you should keep your eyes out for…” you muse.

“Who?” Roxas and Axel ask simultaneously.

“Everyone,” you reply with a small smirk.

“Alright Miss. Cryptic, lets get you home,” Zack decides, placing a hand on the small of your back as he leads you away.

“See you around!” you call out to the new guys, doing your best to ignore the feeling of Zack’s fingers pressing against your back.

“You’re new,” a girl speaks up from behind Axel and Roxas. The two jump slightly before turning around, spotting a blonde dressed in white standing on the steps of the church. “Come here,” she adds softly.

“… No, thank you,” Axel finally replies.

The girl smiles, clasping her hands behind her back as she walks towards the men. 

“Ah, that’s right. Those who live in sin cannot set foot in a house of God,” she muses. Roxas and Axel exchange looks. “It’s okay, you don’t need to hide anything from me. I know who you are. Or, should I say, what you are.”

“How?” Roxas blurts out.

The girl continues to smile as she glances over at him.

“Your brother is here, Roxas.”

The already pale man immediately loses all color from his face.


	3. Sealed With a Bite

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Introduction of 2 more characters... ♥ Alex

“… Maybe they’re twins switched at birth,” you muse with a laugh as you and Zack climb up the stairs leading to your house.

Zack chuckles, shaking his head.

“I doubt it. Roxas is much older,” he informs you.

“But… He and Ven look the same age,” you argue with narrowed eyes.

A small look of panic crosses over Zack’s face before it quickly softens back into a smile. He holds the front door open for you, standing back as you walk inside.

“I was kidding,” he finally replies, but you barely hear him.

Your eyes are locked onto a strange man standing in the foyer, chatting with your brother, father, and step-mother. He’s dressed in tall black boots, tight gray pants, white button-up shirt, and black coat, and his hair is a grayish black. He glances over his shoulder, watching you and Zack with mild interest. He looks around Zack’s age, maybe a year or two older.

“Ah, here she is, my lovely daughter [Name]! [Name], this is Noctis Caelum. He’ll be staying with us for the next few weeks,” your father introduces, herding the tall man towards you.

“Why?” you ask, tearing your eyes from the admittedly handsome man to glance up at your smiling father.

“He’s from Richmond! He’s been sent here by the police, to investigate those horrible deaths.”

You nod along, staring up at the male again. His eyes are a dark blue, but there’s almost a reddish tint to the ring around his cornea. He has yet to even crack a smile as he studies you. This man is serious, lacking the enthusiasm of the country boy next to you.

“Who are you?” Noctis asks, his gaze darting to Zack.

“Zack Fair,” Zack introduces, and the two quickly shake hands.

You notice that Zack almost immediately retracts his gloved hand, as if he’s been burned. Noctis finally allows a faint smirk to grow on his face, turning towards your brother.

“Can you show me my room? That ride from the city was very long,” Noctis muses, tucking his bag under his arm.

Hayner nods, leading the male out of the room. You can hear their boots thumping away up the stairs, silence falling over the four of you left in the room.

“I hope he will be able to help. Those poor families deserve closure,” your step-mother speaks up.

“Too true, my dearest Leblanc. Now let’s go sample Xion’s cooking, we must make sure that dinner is perfect for our two lovely guests!” your father states as he drags your frowning step-mother from the room.

“I don’t like him,” Zack decides.

“Who, my father?!”

“NO! That detective,” Zack corrects.

“He is rather serious…” you agree, curious as to just what his investigation will dig up about this town and its sordid inhabitants.

❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈

“That was the most wonderful soufflé of my life!” you gush as you flop down on the couch in your study.

Hayner had run out immediately after dinner to see his (cough) _friend_ Olette, Noctis had retired to his room to research the town’s history, and your father and step-mother were enjoying a nice glass of wine on the porch. The only two left were you and Zack, who was more than happy to slide down onto the couch beside you. Even though the food that filled the dining table looked and especially smelled delicious, the only thing that Zack could smell was you. The more time he spent with you, exposed to that intoxicating aroma, the more he wanted, no needed, to taste you. Just as his hand is reaching out for yours, you run a hand through your hair and turn to face the elder male.

“Why are you here, Zack? Why did you leave Texas?” you ask him.

His eyebrows rise in surprise at your question, but he quickly relaxes into a smile.

“You don’t want to hear about my past. The story is very long and complicated.”

“Try me.”

He continues to smile as he gently grabs your hand in both of his. He can feel your veins pulsating as your heart starts to race faster, but he does his best to ignore the sensation.

“You go first,” he retorts, and you sigh as you lean the back of your head against the couch.

“What’s there to say? I’ve lived here all of my life with my family. My mother died three years ago, around the same time I was engaged…” You trail off, shaking your head. “Sorry, I really don’t want to talk about that aspect of my life.”

“Your mother?” Zack guesses.

“No. My engagement.”

The word leaves your mouth like poison, dripping with venom and hatred. Zack frowns. The statement shouldn’t bother him, but it does.

“Who’s the guy?” he finally asks.

“Kadaj Zedler. His father’s the Governor,” you reply, glaring daggers at the fire crackling in the fireplace.

“Zedler…?” Zack repeats, his grip on your hands loosening.

“Horrible family,” you mutter darkly before releasing another sigh. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be complaining. It’s just… I never pictured myself marrying a man I hate.”

“Then don’t,” Zack counters with a shrug. You laugh slightly, but he keeps speaking. “Just because your father wants you to doesn’t mean you have to, you know.”

“It does if I want a roof over my head and my inheritance.”

Your eyes widen slightly as one of Zack’s hand releases yours, a finger resting on your chin as he turns your face towards his.

“Run away with me. There’s a whole new world out there beyond the forest of Dover Hills,” he tells you quietly, his blue eyes searching yours. “There’s so much that you know nothing about, [Name]. A life of unimaginable power, excitement… You can _thrive_ out there, instead of staying here and suffocating.”

“So we would what? Live on the land forever like animals? Yeah, right,” you retort, and he rolls his eyes.

“Don’t you want your independence?” he asks, and your heart almost stops. How did he know? “Of course you do. I did, too. So I made that leap without looking back.”

Your eyes are searching his for a hint of emotion, but there’s none.

“… What are you talking about?”

“Maybe I’m not the best with words…” he muses, his finger falling from your face. “Can I show you instead?”

“Sure, why not,” you agree.

He smirks as he raises your hand to his mouth. His nose runs along the underside of your wrist, and you feel actual panic set in as his the blue in his eyes start to swirl. He closes his eyes, and you gasp loudly when he opens them. His eyes are now deep red, like the color of blood, and the skin around his eyes is starting to wrinkle slightly.

“Don’t be afraid,” he tells you in a hoarse voice, and for some reason you’re not as his teeth sink into your skin.

❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈

“Sir? I’m back,” a blonde woman calls out, the same person that approached Roxas and Axel earlier that day.

The dark-haired male peers over his shoulder, watching boredly as she shrugs out of her coat.

“Good. Is my brother coming?” the man asks.

“Yes. Tomorrow, with his friend.”

“Axel?”

“That’s the one,” the woman agrees. The man scoffs, playing with the small silver sword clutched in his hands. “There’s more.”

“What?”

“Another vampire. I can sense him, he’s living in the Mayor’s house.”

The man swivels on his heel, turning to fully face the emotionless blonde woman.

“Really…? So I’m not the only one to receive your message… Good, I can use all the help I can get. Thank you, Naminé.”

A hint of a smile flashes on the girl’s lips as she bows her head, blonde hair hiding her face.

“I’ll do anything to help an old friend, Vanitas.”

❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈

The next morning was like waking up from an awkward one-night stand. For many minutes you sat in bed, feeling unclean and wondering just what happened the night before. After the confusion came the shame as you glanced at your wrist. Zack had cleaned and bandaged it delicately afterwards with no words exchanged, but the white gauze did nothing to hide your indignity. A man, practically a stranger, drank your blood last night and you did nothing to stop him. In fact, you kind of… dare you say it, liked it. It was exciting, it was dangerous, it was… different.

As you stare at Zack across the dining table, there’s no denying what he truly is. You’ve heard tales of vampires before, with their pale skin and charming ways, but never in America. It made sense that they would travel from Europe to the new world in search of adventure, and the forests of Dover Hills would make the perfect home. Empty, safe, filled with nothing but lost and terrified travelers to prey on.

“What happened?”

You glance up at Noctis as he sits beside you, the newspaper clutched in his gloved hands. You follow his gaze, realizing he’s staring at your bandage.

“Oh. I cut myself last night,” you lie with a small smile.

You sneak a peek at Zack, who’s watching you with an amused smirk. Noctis glances between the two of you before sighing and flipping the paper open.

“Guess you should watch what you’re doing,” he retorts, and you shoot him a look as Zack chokes on his coffee. “With your knife, I mean,” he clarifies.

“Oh… Yes, I suppose I should,” you agree, though the smirk on his face makes you wonder if he meant that comment in another way.

❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈

“Father,” Kadaj calls out as he saunters towards the front door. “I’m going out.”

“To the Webster’s?” Sephiroth guesses as he pokes his head out of the kitchen doorway. Kadaj nods slowly. “Why, may I ask?”

“Do I need a reason to see my glowing fiancée?” Kadaj retorts dryly.

“Don’t get smart with me,” Sephiroth warns, pointing a finger at the glowering male. “You know as well as I that we need this union.”

Kadaj scoffs, though he fails to reply as he glances towards the door behind him. His father takes a step towards him. “Do we understand each other? You cannot fail, my son. Our future hinges on the next few months.”

Kadaj’s eyes flash red before he turns towards the wooden front door and slams it open.

“Understood, Father.”


	4. Down the Rabbit Hole

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Semi-Mature (sexual) content - so read with caution~♥

“Are these them?” Noctis asks, his white handkerchief covering his nose as he stares at the five wooden caskets lying before him on the grass of the local graveyard.

“Yes,” the undertaker agrees with a nod. “All five of them.”

“Poor girls,” Noctis muses quietly as two men run forward, prying off the lid of the first casket.

“Poor girls? They were stupid enough to walk inside of the forest by themselves,” the undertaker retorts, earning a confused glance from the young man beside him.

The two assistants jump back slightly as the lid finally flies off, gagging quietly at the smell as they shuffle backwards. Noctis strides past the assistants, kneeling on the ground. One of his hands keeps the handkerchief attached to his nose as he leans forward. The stench of rotting flesh rises through the air, his eyes watering.

“Would you like to be left alone?” the undertaker calls out.

“Yes,” Noctis replies. “Thank…” He trails off when he glances over his shoulder, realizing that the three men are already halfway down the hill. “… you,” he finishes with a sigh.

He returns his attention back to the body before him. Thankfully her face has been covered with a thin cloth, but her body is almost translucent it’s so pale. Thin blue veins are almost popping out of her skin, most likely an effect of being drained of all blood. He picks up a limp arm with his free hand, closely examining the clammy flesh. There’s not even a bruise. It’s like she just lost all of her blood in an instant, and it’s like nothing he’s ever seen before.

Noctis’ eyes narrow as a small flash of red catches his attention. Quickly fiddling with his glasses in his bag, he shoves them on his face and hovers over the girl’s body. The smell is hardly affecting him anymore as he moves the girls’ head to the side, revealing her neck… complete with two, small puncture wounds. The marks failed to heal, so it was made either after death or right before death… How had no one seen this?! Idiot doctors in small towns, they’re so simple-minded compared to those from the city. With a heavy heart Noctis moves towards the second victim, even more confused than he had been earlier.

[❥] 

Why you were sent on grocery duty instead of one of the maids is beyond you, but it ended up working out for the best (or worst, depending on how you look at it). As you’re walking down the street with two heavy bags filled to the brim with cheeses, sweets, and meats, two welcomed faces greet you.

“Hey, need some help?” Roxas asks, sounding a bit more friendly than he did yesterday as he grabs one of the bulging bags from your arms.

Axel grabs the other bag without even asking, and you smile slightly as you rub your sore shoulder.

“Thanks, I was getting kind of tired,” you admit.

“What happened to your hand?” Roxas asks, nodding down at the gauze.

“Wha… oh, I cut it.”

“Yeah but what really happened?” Axel asks with a laugh.

Do they know? Should you risk telling them? Odds are if they’re old friends with Zack, they’re very likely aware of his… affliction.

“Zack never did have good self-control around pretty girls,” Roxas muses and your eyes widen ever-so-slightly.

“Kinda surprised he waited that long,” Axel agrees as the three of you start to walk down the empty street.

“Waited long to do what?” you ask, slightly flustered from just now realizing that Roxas called you pretty.

“Feed. Your smell is more… intoxicating than most,” Axel explains, and you move away from him a bit when you realizing he’s staring down at your neck.

“Don’t worry, we won’t bite. Well… we probably won’t,” Roxas tells you with a shrug.

“No promises here,” Axel mutters.

“Oh my gosh, this is so weird,” you complain, burying your head in your hands. “You guys are vampires, and you’re acting like you just told me your favorite color. How are you not more worried about telling me what you are?!”

“Well you just let our friend suck on your wrist last night… soo you seem pretty safe,” Axel concludes.

“What?!” you cry in horror, glancing between the laughing guys.

“Admit it. You find us intriguing,” Roxas teases.

You can’t even respond, because he’s absolutely right.

[❥] 

“How did it go?”

Noctis glances up from his desk, frowning when the smiling face of Zack pops into the doorway of his room.

“How did what go?” Noctis reponds.

“Weren’t you down at the graveyard?” Zack asks, taking a step into the cramped room.

Noctis sighs, rubbing his tired eyes as he leans back on the stiff wooden chair.

“Oh, that… I have no idea why I accepted this case. I think I’ve walked into something much bigger than me,” Noctis admits.

“Like what, a ghost?” Zack guesses with a smirk.

“No, not a ghost,” Noctis argues. “Here, I’ve been reading some books from the local library.”

He gestures for Zack to come closer, which he does. Zack leans down, scrunching his nose. The man smells of stress and exhaustion, a horrible combination and an even worse taste.

“I’ve been reading books on local lore, and look at this.”

Noctis points a slender finger at a paragraph in a tattered old book, and Zack’s eyes widen.

“The Forests of Dover Hills have been long believed to be home to many of the Devil’s creatures. Ghosts and ghouls are the most prominent, but few know of the rich history of vampires in this sleepy village,” Zack reads, shaking his head slightly.

How had he never heard of this before…? He’s been in America for 127 years at this point!

“On the bodies, each woman had two puncture wounds in her neck. Like teeth marks. And all of their blood is drained, not a drop remained. I think this town has vampires among the living,” Noctis explains, tapping a pen on the desk before him.

Zack starts to laugh, and Noctis watches the male as he stands up straight and heads for the door.

“Vampires are just stories told by those with vivid imaginations, Mr. Caelum.”

Zack glances at the frowning detective out of the corner of his electric blue eyes before stepping out into the hallway.

“Are they, though…?” Noctis asks himself quietly as he buries himself back into the book before him.

[❥] 

“Those idiots,” Zack mutters under his breath as he storms down the stairs of your house.

It had to be Axel who was killing those poor girls in the forest, it’s not Roxas’ style to be homicidal. Usually the cranky blond just compelled young girls to allow him to drink some blood, but never enough to kill them. But Axel… that sick freak, he wouldn’t put it past him.

“Who’s an idiot?” a voice drawls, and Zack glances behind him just as he’s reaching for the front door. He spots a short, silver-haired male leaning against the doorway to the living room, arms crossed over his chest.

“What are you doing here, Zedler?” Zack snaps.

Kadaj laughs as he pushes himself off of the wall, moving towards the frowning raven-haired male.

“Did you hear that my father is Governor?”

“What idiot appointed that psychopath?” Zack retorts.

“It’s really not that hard to get what you want if you ask nicely enough. I’m sure you know that, since you just drank from my fiancé last night,” Kadaj replies coyly. “I saw her bandages. Nasty little bite she has there, Fair.”

“Oh please, I barely nipped her,” Zack scoffs. “And I didn’t have to compel her, in case you were wondering. She barely put up a fight.”

Kadaj’s eyes narrow as he reaches a hand out, grabbing Zack by the collar of his coat and throwing him against the door. His grip is iron-tight and his eyes are swirling into a blood-red color.

“Hands off my fiancé, Fair. And tell your little friends, too. You’re not going to stop us.”

Zack smirks a little as he grabs Kadaj by the back of his head, tossing him aside like a ragdoll. He tumbles against the wall, stumbling a bit as he regains his balance.

“Still so weak without your daddy around,” Zack mocks, brushing off his black coat. “Just what are you freaks planning, anyway? I’d think the Websters are the last family you’d want to be around.”

“But what better way is there to destroy the enemy than from the inside?” Kadaj counters with a tilt of his head.

“Freak,” Zack spits out as he flings the front door open and storms outside, into the cool November air.

Kadaj merely smirks as he watches the male stomp off towards the town, no doubt to meet up with the blond and redhead waiting for him. Fools, thinking they stand a chance against his father!

“What was that racket?” you ask as you exit your kitchen, eyes locked on your smiling fiancé.

“I tripped,” he lies, resting a hand on your shoulder as he leads you into the dining room for dinner.

You roll your eyes, knowing full well he’s lying, but too tired to argue.

He smirks, watching you like a future meal.

[❥] 

“Hey!” Zack calls out, slamming the door to Axel and Roxas’ motel room shut behind him.

A layer of dust flies through the air at the action, and Zack starts to cough as he waves his arms around, keeping the particles from his eyes. A redhead pops his head out from the bathroom, a small trail of blood falling from his lips.

“Oh… Hey. Want some?” Axel asks, holding up the bloody arm of an unconscious (or is she dead?) girl.

“… Seriously? You haven’t had enough yet?!” Zack snaps.

Roxas’ head pops out from the bathroom as well, wiping some blood from his mouth as he walks towards the scowling dark-haired male.

“Sorry, it’s been days since I ate,” Roxas admits with a sheepish shrug.

“And it was a welcome gift from me,” another voice adds, and Zack peers over his shoulder at the source.

Standing behind him (how did he sneak back there so quickly?!) is a familiar smiling face. Golden eyes are relaxed as the man takes a step forward, dark hair framing his face.

“Vanitas,” Zack greets darkly. “Haven’t seen you in awhile.”

“It’s not my fault you ran off and hid down South,” Vanitas retorts as he takes a seat on one of the beds in the room. “It’s okay, most aren’t strong enough to survive the life of a vampire.”

“Zack doesn’t like killing anyone,” Axel speaks up, “he’s always been a champion of innocence.”

“The good among sinners,” Roxas agrees with a bitter laugh.

“Okay okay, I get it, I’m nice,” Zack sighs, resting his back against the wall. “Now, can we finally discuss what we’re doing here?”

“You tell us. You’re the one living in the Mayor’s house,” Axel responds.

“We saw her bandages, by the way. I didn’t think you’d last 24 hours in that house without sinking your teeth in,” Roxas adds, smirking slightly as Zack narrows his eyes at them.

“Everyone’s gotta eat,” Zack finally counters with a small laugh. “Besides, she didn’t seem to mind.”

“Really? Huh, then she’s more interesting than I originally thought,” Axel muses.

“If she’s as pretty as you’ve claimed, I’m surprised you haven’t tried anything yet,” Vanitas points out from his sitting position, looking over at the redhead.

“You said that?” Zack asks with a laugh as Axel waves his hands dismissively.

“I think we’re getting a little off-topic here,” Axel argues.

“Yeah, have you found out anything?” Roxas presses.

Zack sighs, his arms crossed over his chest as he stares up at the ceiling. Cobwebs are forming in the corners, with a thick layer of dust on the wood boards.

“Just that some detective is in town investigating your handiwork,” he states with a glance towards Axel.

“I only killed one of them!” Axel snaps.

Everyone glances at Vanitas, who’s laughing lightly.

“Oops,” he mutters with a smirk.

“Should’ve seen that one coming,” Roxas murmurs, rolling his eyes.

“Anything else?” Axel adds.

“The Zedlers are here. Kadaj has somehow weaseled his way into an engagement with [Name].”

“How the hell did he do that?!” Roxas cries, his blue eyes widening.

“That whole family is filled with snakes,” Vanitas growls, clenching his fists. “I’m surprised they’re even still alive. I’ve had hits on their moronic heads for centuries now.”

“Guess you’re not as powerful as you think you are,” Roxas counters, grinning as Vanitas shoots him a furious glare.

“He does have a theory on why we were called here, however,” Axel adds thoughtfully.

“Why?” Zack asks.

“Well… First of all, it was Naminé who called the three of you here,” Vanitas tells them.

“She’s living here?” Zack asks in surprise.

Vanitas nods slowly, his golden eyes devoid of emotion.

“She’s friends with that [Name] girl, too. I wanted her to watch over the Websters.”

“Because they’re hunters?” Axel guesses.

Vanitas nods again.

“The history of this town is shrouded in mystery. Not many know about its past. Dover Hills… it used to be a sanctuary for people like us.”

“Vampires?” Zack interrupts.

“Yes, Fair, vampires,” Vanitas agrees, rolling his eyes. “Anyway, as I’m sure you all know, the Websters came from Europe, where they were celebrated vampire hunters. They came to America after hearing about this town. One night in December centuries ago, the village was wiped out by the Webster hunters. Supposedly the family has given up their hunting roots and have become simple farmers, but all throughout the world vampires have been dropping dead for no reason. I think that the Websters are not only still hunters, but I think they’re working with a witch. There’s a huge source of power surging from this town, I’m sure you’ve felt it.”

The three men glance at each other. His words make sense, a lot more sense that they’d like to admit.

“Then why am I okay? I’m living in the Webster house!” Zack finally points out.

“Maybe you’re seen as safe, I have no idea. But whoever is doing this needs to be stopped. I’m not about to be killed by some coward chanting spells behind their cauldron.”

“What do you suggest we do?” Roxas asks.

A small smirk grows on Vanitas’ face as he glances out the window. At the end of the street is your house, silhouetted against the night’s sky.

“I have a few ideas…”

[❥] 

You sit up in bed with a startled gasp as the sound of scratching wood wakes you. It’s loud, and coming from your window. You sigh in relief when you see a familiar blond head poke through, grinning widely.

“You scared me,” you complain quietly as Ven walks towards your bed.

“Sorry. Do you want me to leave?” he asks. You quickly shake your head, and the smile is back on his face as he kicks his boots off and crawls under the covers with you. “Are you okay?” he adds, noticing your worried expression.

“H-Huh? Oh yeah, I’m fine. Just a long day.”

He nods before sighing loudly, draping an arm around you as he buries his head into his pillow. Suddenly he frowns, picking up your wrist when he spots the bandage.

“What happened?” Ven asks slowly, running a finger down the gauze.

_Oh, nothing… A guy just drank my blood…_

“Cut myself in the kitchen,” you reply quickly.

“Clumsy,” he laughs, and you crack a grin as you stare over at him.

Light practically shines from Ven’s whole being, his goodness palpable. He’s the exact opposite of everyone else in the town who seem to be shrouded in darkness, greed, and hate. Ven is a good man, and you’ve always been drawn to him.

He sighs again, reaching a hand out to cup your cheek.

“Do you have to get married?” he asks, for what has to be the thousandth time.

Your heart breaks as you whisper a “yes”.

“… Then can I kiss you now, before you’re his?” he murmurs, his blue eyes boring into yours.

“I will never be his, Ven.”

He smiles slightly as he pulls you closer to him, his lips finding yours in the darkness. Giving into temptation, your arms wrap around his neck as the kiss deepens and he drags you underneath him.

Eventually, even the good become sinners.


	5. Beyond Redemption

✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤

For the second time in two days, you woke up feeling dirty.

Memories of last night were still vivid in your mind, each touch and kiss permanently seared to your skin. Ven had left in the early morning with a quick kiss, like a ghost leaving as the sun rises. For a moment you wonder if it was all a dream, but no. The recollections are too intense to be a dream.

What was going on with you anyway? Befriending vampires, sleeping with your oldest friend…?

Maybe it was true what they say; if you live in Dover Hills for long enough, then you’ll eventually descend into a life of darkness and sin.

✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤

“Good morning!” Noctis calls out as you limp by his room. You come to a stop, peering over at the male. He isn’t smiling, but he’s watching you with an amused expression. “Long night?”

Your eyes widen, but his face shows nothing but lighthearted entertainment. He was kidding.

“No, I… fell,” you lie as you step into his room.

“Cutting yourself, falling… You’re just surrounded by trouble, aren’t you Miss Webster?” he muses.

Oh, you have no idea…

“Maybe I am,” you agree with a small smile as you perch on his desk. He’s sitting in his wooden chair, and he leans back a bit as he studies you. “How is your case going?”

Noctis suddenly frowns as he takes off his reading glasses, placing them neatly on the desk beside you.

“It’s very complicated, I’m afraid. I came to this town as a skeptic, but I’m starting to wonder if maybe there are supernatural forces alive in Dover Hills.”

_There’s one sleeping in the room next to yours… I should know, he drank my blood._

“Oh, really? I wouldn’t be surprised. The forest is haunted, you know,” you tell him.

Noctis laughs lightly as he leans closer to you. One of his hands rests on the desk, dangerously close to your dress.

“That’s what they say. Have you ever heard of vampires?” he asks.

“O-Of course. Who hasn’t?” you counter.

His grayish eyes dart down to your wrist, and you immediately curse yourself. You had removed your bandage this morning and forgot to replace it. Before you can move, his hand darts out to yours, grabbing your wrist and pulling it towards his face.

“Hm,” he hums as he studies the wound near your palm. “I’ve never seen a knife make a mark like this.”

You pull back your wrist, holding it like he had just poured acid on your skin. Noctis merely smirks as you hop off of his desk, shooting him a horrified and slightly scared look.

“Looks like there are supernatural forces here after all,” he agrees as you storm out of his room.

✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤

“… But why are you leaving?!” you repeat for the tenth time as you follow Zack down the stairs.

He comes to a stop, and you end up running right into his back. With a smile he turns around, grabbing your hands in his.

“I’ve taken advantage of your family’s hospitality for too long,” he tells you, squeezing your hands. “And I… I don’t want to risk biting you again. It takes everything in me not to.”

_But… I liked it._

“… Okay,” you mumble, trying to hide the disappointment. “Where will you stay?”

“I have a friend, he’s found an abandoned house in the woods. I’ll be there, if you want to find me. And Axel and Roxas are still in the motel.”

“But-“

“I’ll still be around,” he interrupts, leaning down to kiss your knuckles. “Just… not here. You don’t want to become the sixth girl in this town to be drained of your blood, do you?”

His eyebrows raise with these words for emphasis, and you nod in agreement.

“Alright. I just… you’ve been a nice distraction, from the wedding.”

Zack chuckles as he squeezes your hands one last time before dropping them and continuing down the staircase.

“If you want a distraction, read a book. I’ll just end up leading you down the path to hell.”

Your jaw drops open as he keeps walking, out the front door and into the thick fog outside.

✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤

“Well?” Vanitas speaks up as Zack ducks inside of the crumbling home.

“I left. And told her to stay away. You’re welcome,” Zack mumbles, resting his back against the door.

He slumps down to the floor, his legs sprawled out in front of him. Vanitas scoffs.

“What are you, a child? She’s just a silly little girl.”

“You haven’t even met her. She’s… different. How many people let you drink their blood?” Zack counters, glancing up at the man.

“For you? I’m sure you’ve had girls agree to worst acts.”

Zack smirks a little before sighing and leaning his the back of his head against the stone door.

“Alright, you have a point there,” he laughs. “I just… _feel_. I feel for her.”

“Then go back to her, have fun with the Zedlers and the detective coming after us. Those are your only options,” Vanitas snaps, his patience almost gone. “You’d be dead in days.”

“Do you really think the Websters are behind this?” Zack asks.

Vanitas shrugs.

“I’m not sure… Maybe. It would make sense.”

Zack frowns as Vanitas tosses him a bottle filled with amber liquid. He manages to catch it, lighting up when he realizes it’s whiskey.

“Thanks,” Zack mumbles as he takes a swig of the drink. “So, what’s the plan?” he adds as he wipes his mouth with the sleeve of his cloak.

“So far? Only thing I can come up with is kill [Name],” Vanitas laughs.

“What?! Why?” Zack cries, almost dropping the bottle in his hands out of the shock.

“Well for one, none of you will shut up about her,” he complains. “It’s getting really old. And two… It’s the only way I can think of ruining Sephiroth’s plans…”

“Why, what do you think they’re up to?” Zack presses.

Vanitas’ golden eyes dart to the man resting against the door.

“I’ll tell you when I figure it out…”

✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤

Sunday church used to mean singing hymns, rejoicing in the beauty of God, and, on a rare occasion, repenting for sins. When you were a child, you would pray for forgiveness after lying to your parents, or stealing a piece of candy from the store.

Now, as a grown woman, your hands were clasped in front of your chest but no words were uttered. What could you pray for? Your salvation? You glance to the seat next to you, where Ven is sitting. Feeling your eyes on him his gaze darts over to you, and a small smirk grows on his face as your eyes lock. Memories of last night once again come pouring back, and with a dejected sigh you glance up on the crucifix on the wall.

You’re beyond redemption at this point.

✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤

“That was a lovely sermon,” Namine muses as you, she, and Ven follow the crowd outside of the interior of the church.

Since the pastor spent the entire time speaking of saving oneself for their union before God, you couldn’t bring yourself to agree. Even the ever-chipper Ven was looking uncomfortable as he clasps his hands behind his back.

“I liked the songs,” Ven finally agrees, and you break out into a smile at his joke as you glance up at him.

Namine glances between the two of you, a coy smirk on her face. It was obvious, and not all that surprising, that something had happened. With a tiny sigh she takes a step back.

“I need to get going, my father is waiting for me,” she says.

“Alright, Namine,” you agree, your eyes locked on Ven’s.

If you had been thinking, you would have realized her father is dead.

And if you had glanced over your shoulder, you would have seen Namine walking into the forest.

But you didn’t, and instead your gaze stays on Ven’s smiling face.

“Can I come over tonight?” he asks softly, one of his hands closing around your wrist.

“Yes,” you agree, your stomach doing a quick somersault at the word.

Could this man be your redemption? He was so good and gentle, the opposite of the ever-infatuating vampires that have been consuming your thoughts. Granted, you were engaged to marry another man, but how many times had you and Ven discussed running away together? The thought wasn’t so preposterous. And, judging by the sweet smile on his face as he leans down to kiss your cheek, he doesn’t seem to mind that you’re walking a fine line between good and evil.

✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤

Unfortunately, Ven’s home is before yours. He offered to walk the rest of the way with you, since the sky is dark and it must be nearly 9:00 at night, but you rejected him. After all, the two of you will be reunited mere hours later.

The path is dark, without even the light of the moon to guide you. Crunching leaves can be heard under your heels as you walk, your heart racing with fear. It could be paranoia, but you cannot shake the feeling that someone is watching you. You peer over your shoulder, seeing no one.

“It’s okay, it’s okay,” you whisper under your breath, cursing your stubbornness. Why didn’t you let Ven walk you?!

“… Because I don’t want to be saved,” you realize with a sigh.

“Good.”

Your heart skips a beat at the voice, and you turn around to be met with a hand. It covers your mouth to silence your screams, and you struggle against their hold as they drag you into an empty alley. You watch with fear as they pull out a knife, bringing it down to… cut their free hand? Your mouth is released as your attacker runs the blade down his palm. You’re barely able to make out a flash of gold, his face shrouded in darkness.

“What are you-“

You’re interrupted as his cut hand covers your mouth, a metallic taste filling your mouth as his blood slips between your lips. In an attempt to breathe you swallow their blood, gagging a little at its warmness.

“Drink, drink,” the man coos into your ear, running a hand through your hair. “You’ll thank me for this later.”

His mouth is released as both of his hands suddenly grab your head. You don’t even have time to scream as your head is twisted to the side, snapping your neck in an instant.

Your death is quick and painless, and you fall to the ground in a crumpled heap of dress and limbs.

_I knew this day would come to end, so let this life begin._   



	6. Awake

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is liking the series so far~ I gathered my knowledge of vamps from The Vampire Diaries, an American show currently on its 7th (I think?) season. So all credit goes to them ♥ Alex

  
_A soft touch._

_Warm light soaring from above._

_Heaven?_

_No, not Heaven._

_A small laugh._

_Silly girl, you will never reach the pearly gates._

_The embrace of God._

_Or the love of Jesus._

_You are an abomination, a failure._

_Satan’s plaything._

_A puppet of the darkness._

_Doomed to a life of death._

_Is there a worse fate?_

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

You sit up with a hoarse gasp, hands flying up to your neck. Cool air enters your mouth and soothes your raw throat, and your eyes blink open. Your vision is blurry, but eventually it adjusts to the light and you glance around. You’re in a shack… the abandoned house in the forest no one dares set foot in.

_You’re… alive?_

_No, impossible. That man snapped your neck._

“Hello, [Name].”

You look up, spotting Naminé sitting in a chair beside your bed. A small smile is on her face as she watches you.

“You’ve been asleep for quite some time.”

“Asleep?” you repeat. “So… it was a dream? I’m alive?!”

“Well… Asleep sounds much less harsh than ‘dead’.”

Your hand is still touching your throat. No scars or pain remain, but the same cannot be said for your sanity.

“I’m… _dead_?” you guess.

“Technically, undead,” she corrects, standing up from her seat. She sits beside you, taking one of your hands in hers. A small blue ring is sitting on the pointer finger of your right hand, you realize as she plays with your fingers. “Vanitas had me make you this ring. It allows vampires to walk in the sun. You can never remove it, or you’ll catch fire and die.”

So that’s how Zack, Roxas, and Axel were able to go outside during the day. It wasn’t surprising to hear that Naminé made such a ring. You’ve known for years that she dabbles in witchcraft, but she must be stronger than she lets on.

“Who’s Vanitas?” you finally ask, the most pressing of questions.

“A friend. And Roxas’ older brother.” 

“His broth…”

The word can barely even leave your mouth. It was too much to take in. With a sigh you bury your head in your hands, shaking your head. A tear slips past your fingers, and with a coo she cuddles up to you and rubs your back.

“What am I going to do, Naminé?” you mutter before a sob racks your body and you collapse in her warm embrace.

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ 

“You did WHAT?!”

“Relax, brother, I just plugged a potential leak.”

Roxas scoffs haughtily as he glances away from his elder brother. It was impossible to look at him without wanting to leap across the table and slap that smug smirk off of his face.

“You talk about her like she’s a drain,” he finally states.

“Isn’t she? She’s a drain on our resources, patience-“

Vanitas is cut off as a mug goes whizzing past his head, colliding loudly with the wall behind him. The glass shatters, sharp pieces falling on the floor with soft ‘tinkles’.

“Wow, didn’t think you had it in you anymore. You’ve been getting a little soft, Rox,” Vanitas mocks as the door slams open, revealing Axel and Zack with worried expressions.

“What the hell happened?” Zack asks as Axel kicks aside a few pieces of glass.

“My _brilliant brother_ killed [Name] last night,” Roxas responds with narrowed blue eyes.

“NOT killed!” Vanitas corrects with a finger in the air as the two taller men round on him. “Made her better. Stronger.”

“You didn’t…” Axel mutters.

Vanitas smirks.

“Oh, I did. The youngest daughter of the most infamous vampire hunter family, is now a vampire. It might just be my best work,” he muses with a laugh.

“I oughtta stake you where you stand,” Zack states, shaking his head.

“You might want to hold off on the ‘hero’ act for now, Fair. I have a valid reason for my decision.”

“Yeah, you better,” Roxas agrees, rolling his eyes as his brother leads the way out of the motel room.

“Come now young ones, let’s go check up on our new recruit. She should be right in the middle of her transition right now!” Vanitas speaks up with an excited clap of his hands.

“Has anyone ever told you that you’re a real bastard?” Axel asks. 

“Too many times to count.”

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ 

“… Transition?” you repeat with furrowed brows. 

“That’s why your muscles hurt, and you feel slightly nauseous. It’s your body craving blood. Human blood,” Naminé tells you, her tone soft as if she’s speaking to a newborn child. Which, funnily enough, you kind of are. A new life, the old you all but gone and leaving behind a hollow shell of a woman.

“I’m not drinking blood,” you mutter.

Naminé smiles slightly.

“You will want to, when you’re exposed to it.”

You glance over at her. 

“Then why don’t I want to drink yours? Maybe I’m not really a vampire!” you cry with hopeful realization.

“No, you are. You were dead for hours. I have this,” she pulls a necklace out of her dress. “I charmed it, to keep vampires from wanting to drink from me. It’s the only way to live with Vanitas.”

_Vanitas._

_Roxas’ older brother._

_The man who killed you._

Sounds like quite a guy.

“I’ll give you one for Ven. I can imagine his scent will be hard for you to ignore,” she adds with a knowing smirk, and you swallow an uncomfortable lump in your throat.

Ven. Your knight in shining armor, your small glimmer of light. You would never dream of hurting him… but what if the desire for blood is too much? What if you… kill him?

“I’m not drinking blood,” you repeat loudly, shaking your head as you try to expel the thought.

“You will if you don’t want to die.”

You glance towards the door, wondering how you didn’t hear it open, but immediately smile a bit when you spot Zack, Axel, and Roxas standing there. 

“What do you mean?” you ask as they walk towards you.

“If you don’t feed on human blood within 24 hours after transformation begins, you’ll die,” Axel clarifies as he sits next to you.

“How are you feeling?” Roxas adds, somewhat changing the subject.

“Awful. My head is pounding and I feel like I just fell off a three-story building.”

“Ah, how I do **not** miss the transition period,” Zack laughs as he grabs your wrist, pulling you up to your feet with ease.

“We’re taking you on a hunt,” Axel speaks up as you shoot them all a questioning glare.

“A hunt? For what, humans?” you joke. The three of them look deadly serious and your mouth drops open in shock. “No. _No no no_ , I would rather die than kill someone!”

“Then don’t kill them,” a man speaks up from the doorway. “You control the blood flow.”

You look up at the newcomer, and his golden eyes set off a flame in the pit of your stomach. 

_Vanitas_.

“You’re the man from last night!” you exclaim with realization.

“Yeah, sorry about that,” he replies with a wry smile.

“Sure you are…” you mumble, rolling your eyes.

As you brush past him through the doorway he grabs your arm, his gloved fingers squeezing against your exposed flesh. 

“Well, I was nice enough to let you sleep in my bed,” he points out, his eyes slightly narrowed.

“… You’re living here?” you ask with raised eyebrows.

“Yeah, maybe now you’ll think twice before insulting me,” he counters as he releases your arm, causing you to stumble forward a little.

“Well, you did kill me!” you exclaim as you turn towards him.

“Semantics.”

“Can you just shut up for once?” Roxas asks, shoulder-checking his brother as he places a hand on your waist and leads you outside, into the fog.

You forget to tell Naminé goodbye, knowing you will never return to this place. Blood will never willingly enter your mouth.

For a second you hope you’ll see her again in Heaven, but then you realize that the undead do not rise. 

They fall.

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ 

It was a new experience, hiding behind a tree with three men while you stalk young women through the forest. If you were reading it in a novel, you would have laughed at the absurdity. But this is reality, and as the hours passed, so did your strength. The pounding in your head was now a dull roar, threatening to split your head apart with pressure. You were dying, again, and this time it's a painful death.

“She smells good,” Zack speaks up, pointing to a girl in the distance.

Her long, brown hair is tied in a braid, and you can hear her humming as he moves towards the woods, a barrel of cream clasped in her hands. As much as it sickens you, you had to agree. Something was wafting into your nostril that you’ve never smelled before, and your mouth is starting to water uncontrollably.

“Don’t drool,” Axel teases, and you snap your mouth shut as you glare at him.

“I wasn’t. I’m just in a lot of pain,” you admit, not completely lying.

It felt like an animal was trapped in your body, clawing at your insides. A monster begging to be released.

The three exchange glances before Roxas sighs loudly.

“I’ll be back,” he mutters before he runs forward.

Only, running isn’t the right word. He moves so fast that all you can see is a blur as he disappears into the fog. In the blink of an eye he’s back, the brunette held in his arms. Her eyes are half-closed, like she’s sleep-walking. And she doesn’t seem to be fighting Roxas’ grasp as he holds onto her, whispering into her ear. Axel pushes you forward, his hand resting on the back of your head as he holds you near her neck.

“I-I can’t,” you mutter, shaking your head as you clench your eyes shut and pull your head back.

_Oh God, that smell_ …

Roxas sighs, and the veins around his eyes start to wrinkle as his blue eyes turn bright red. His head ducks down, sinking his sharp teeth into the girl’s neck. She moans quietly, trapped under the blond’s spell. You watch in horror as he pulls back, blood dripping from his mouth. He moves the girl aside, though still holding onto her, and with a growl his free hand clenches into your hair, pulling you towards him as his lips crash into yours. As soon as his lips touch yours they explode with an indescribable feeling. You find yourself clutching onto Roxas’ coat as he tilts his head, roughly deepening the kiss as you hungrily return the action, desperate for more of the taste on his lips. Without warning he releases you, replacing his lips with the wounded neck of the girl.

There’s absolutely no hesitation as the blood flows into your mouth, and you eagerly swallow it like a cat lapping up milk. Your eyes flutter closed, pushing aside all taboo thoughts. All that matters is the power surging through your body. It’s as if you’ve been hit with a thousand bolts of lightning, your body humming with control and strength.

After a few moments you cry out, letting the girl drop to the ground as you gasp for air. Your eyes start to pulsate uncomfortably, and it feels like knives are being plunged into your mouth. One hand feels around your eyes, your veins popping out of your skin. The other hand presses against your teeth, where long fangs are growing out of your canines.

You glance towards the three men with widened eyes.

“Are you ready to start the rest of your life?” Zack asks with a smirk.

The only thing on your mind is the intoxicating aroma floating through the air, so you quickly kneel down on the ground, the thick fog enveloping you as you continue drinking from the girl.

Poor thing.

She never stood a chance.

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ 

“I’m so embarrassed,” you groan, burying your head into your hands as the four of you make your way back to Vanitas’ hideout.

“Why? That was,” Roxas and Zack shoot him a look, but Axel finishes anyway, “hot.”

“You’re a pig,” Roxas scoffs, shaking his head.

“It’s fine though, [Name]. The first feed is always the most exhilarating,” Zack adds, gently patting your back.

“I just killed someone,” you mutter, sliding your hands down your cheeks. “That girl, she was only a few years younger than me…”

“Technically, I killed her. Nicked her artery,” Roxas corrects with a sheepish grin. “You just… reaped the benefits.”

You feel like your natural reaction should be to gag, but instead a shiver of pleasure runs up your spine. The taste was like nothing you’ve ever experienced, better than sex, alcohol, and drugs all rolled up into one.

“Don’t you feel more alive?” Axel speaks up as he opens the stone door to the hideout.

_Yes. More alive than I’ve ever felt in my whole life_. 

“No,” you lie.

“There’s no need to pretend around us. We don’t judge,” Zack tells you, and you glance at Naminé’s perched figure on the bed. She nods along in agreement. 

“Not from me either. You need blood to survive,” she points out with a soft smile.

“It gets easier with time,” Vanitas adds, taking you all by surprise since you hadn’t seen him in the room.

He’s sitting in the shadows by the door, but his golden eyes shine bright from the darkness.

“It really does,” Roxas agrees as he sits next to Namine.

“Almost gets fun to hunt,” Axel adds with a smirk.

“Alright, I wouldn’t go that far,” Zack laughs, rolling his eyes.

“And let’s stay on track,” Vanitas counters, standing to his feet and walking out into the room. “Naminé’s been feeling… well, I don’t know to phrase it.”

You all glance at Naminé, who sighs as she stares down at the dark floorboards.

“The darkness is growing, and it’s not from us. Something is coming,” she muses, her usually dreamy voice now intensely serious.

“Like what?” Roxas asks.

“I have no idea,” she admits, her eyes wide.

For the first time since you’ve known her, Naminé sounds terrified.


	7. Day One

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I call tomatoes fruit in this story because scientists determined that they're fruits... but I'm still convinced they're vegetables ^_^;

❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈

After a quick lie to your parents about sleeping over at Naminé’s house the night before, you find yourself keeping busy in the garden behind your home. Crops of tomatoes, berries, carrots, and peppers line your backyard with a sea of color.

Your undead self still enjoys bright colors, you note with a smile.

A woven basket rests beside you as you kneel in the middle of a tomato bush, picking the ripe fruits from their stems and tossing them into the basket. The sky above is dark and threatening rain, perfectly fitting your bitter mood. How does one adjust to a normal life after finding out they’re a vampire, anyway? The desire to drain everyone you meet is horribly distracting, and next to impossible to ignore.

You’re so wrapped up in your thoughts, you fail to notice the cloaked man walking towards you from the forest.

“You’ve really got to learn how to tap into your super-hearing,” Vanitas’ voice calls out from behind you, and you jump in surprise as you glance over your shoulder at the male. “You should have heard me coming from a mile away.”

“Sorry, this is kind of new to me,” you snap.

“Wow, touchy,” he laughs as he slumps down next to you, his legs straight out in front of him as he rests back on his palms.

“I think I’m allowed to be,” you retort.

“I suppose. But no one likes the sulking girl.”

“Aren’t vampires ‘sulking’ in nature?” you ask, looking over at the man. He’s smirking, you note with a sense of irritation.

“No, not at all. Look at Zack, he’s like an excitable puppy,” Vanitas points out. “It just depends on your personality, I guess. My brother tends to be a little more brooding than most.”

“And you? How do you act?” you press.

He shrugs before leaning closer to you.

“I dunno. You tell me.”

His smirk widens as you roll your eyes, glancing away from him as you turn your attention back to the tomato bush before you. Your gaze hardens as one of his hands runs through your hair, brushing your locks back to reveal your neck.

“Why are you all so damn flirty,” you complain, shooing his hand away.

He lets out a deep chuckle.

“We crave affection. Not _that_ kind of affection,” he clarifies as a dreamy smile grows on your face. “Hugs and kisses are nice, but there’s nothing in the world like sex as a vampire.”

You want to crawl in a hole and die as he laughs again, resting back on his hands.

“Man, you get flustered easily. Someone needs to break you in,” he muses, throwing his head back so he’s staring up at the cloudy sky. You glare at his figure, but he either doesn’t notice, or doesn’t care. “Do you want to know why I killed you?”

“It would be nice,” you reply dryly.

“Your father and step-mother are killing off vampires around the world.”

“Excuse me?!” you cry, eyes widening as he starts to smile.

“Well, I’m not certain yet, but I think I’m right. The Websters, your family, have a rich history of vampire hunters. Hunter’s blood runs through your veins [Name], many vampires would want you gone out of revenge for their lost loved ones. The Zedler family fit into that category,” he explains. You open your mouth to argue, but he quickly starts talking again. “It can’t be surprising, you had to have realized something was off with that family.”

It’s true, actually, you had always been terrified of Sephiroth and Kadaj. They tended to watch you with uncomfortable gazes, wanting a little too much to be in your and your family’s good graces.

“They’re… vampires,” you realize, and Vanitas slowly nods.

“An ancient family of vampires. Anyway, I overheard Sephiroth talking about ‘killing off the hunters.' Meaning you. I couldn’t let the girl my little brother likes be killed by a Zedler, of all people,” he sneers.

“Overheard?” you repeat, and he rolls his eyes before tapping his ear.

“Super-hearing. We all have it.”

“Oh, right…” you murmur, and your eyes suddenly widen. “Wait, Roxas likes me?!” you exclaim in surprise.

“Little guy won’t stop talking about you,” Vanitas says with a sly grin.

You frown. Roxas always seemed so cranky, it was odd to think of him holding any sort of feelings for you beyond possibly friendship… and even that was a stretch. But he did kiss you yesterday, so who the hell knows anymore.

“So, am I forgiven?” he speaks up, and your gaze darts up to his.

“You killed me and sentenced me to a life as an immortal freak!”

“So… That’s a yes?” he teases. You shoot him a look and he raises his hands in the air, hopping up to his feet. “Alright alright, I’m going. Wanna grab a snack first?”

“Snack…?” you repeat.

“Yeah, I passed a very delicious-smelling woman on the way over here-”

“Get out!” you snap, and he laughs as he turns on his heel and marching away, his hands shoved in the pockets of his black slacks. “Bastard…”

You pluck a tomato from the branch, but the second it’s in your hands it bursts, your clenched hands squeezing the fruit into oblivion.

❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈

It takes all the courage you can muster, but with a heavy heart you bang your hand on Ven’s front door. You can hear muffled footsteps before the door swings open, revealing his very tired face. Once he sees you he lights up in a grin, stepping aside to grant you entrance.

“Hey, Ven,” you greet with a small smile.

The second his door is shut he wraps his arms around you, holding you close as he buries his nose into the top of your head. Your breath hitches in your throat, your eyes starting to pulsate at the enchanting scent seeping into your nostrils.

“Here,” you blurt out, pushing Ven away as you hand him a silver bracelet. “It's for you.”

Naminé was nice enough to charm one of your father’s old bracelets, and you were beyond thankful. Ven’s scent was absolutely driving you wild. With a smile he gingerly grabs the bracelet, sliding it onto his wrist. He laughs as he studies it before glancing down at you.

“What’s this for?” he asks as he sits down on his couch.

You sit beside him, breathing a sigh of relief as the obsessive desire running through your veins to attach yourself to his neck dies down. _Thank you, Naminé_ …

“An ‘I’m sorry’ gift, for ditching you last night,” you tell him.

“Yeah, where were you?” he mutters, placing a hand over yours.

The action sends shivers up your spine, and the longer you stare into his deep blue eyes, the more you find yourself needing to be closer. Unfortunately, the bracelet isn’t fool-proof against your feelings…

“At Naminé’s,” you manage to spit out, forcing a smile.

Ven’s smile slowly slips into a scowl as he leans closer to you.

“Are you alright? You look sick.”

_Well, I am dead_ …

“I’m really tired,” you admit, sighing loudly.

His hand leaves yours, instead wrapping his arm around your shoulders as he pulls you towards him. You curl up into his chest, breathing in his scent. The desire has died down, but only by a little bit. If he accidentally brushed a hand against your waist, you would lose control.

“Just go to sleep,” he coos in your ear, soothingly running a hand through your hair.

_Your angel_.

“I’m here,” he murmurs, kissing the side of your head.

Your hands cling to his shirt as tears spring from your eyes, the stress and horrors of the last 24 hours releasing in an embarrassing display of whines, cries, and sniffles.

But Ven barely bats an eyelash, merely holding you close as you cry your eyes out.

_Your savior_.

❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈

“I really need to feed,” Zack complains dejectedly from his place on Axel’s bed.

“Get off,” the redhead snaps, kicking Zack’s feet as he walks towards the open window on the other side of the room.

“When’s the last time you fed?” Roxas asks.

“… Three days ago,” Zack realizes with a groan, grabbing his pounding head.

“With [Name]?” Axel guesses.

A small smirk can be seen through Zack’s fingers, and the blond and redhead glance at each other before rolling their eyes.

“Guess your free meal ticket is gone now that she’s one of us, huh?” Roxas muses.

Zack turns his head to look at him, but before he can reply a loud knock on the door echoes throughout the room.

“I got it,” Axel calls out as he strides towards the door, swinging it open.

His eyes widen as he spots Noctis standing there… next to a frowning Vanitas.

“You two met?” Zack asks, sitting up on the bed as the two men walk in.

“Just now, walking up to your room,” Noctis replies, glancing around the messy room as he clasps his hands behind his back. “I’m Noctis Caelum, by the way.”

“Axel Sinclair.”

“Roxas and Vanitas Fleischer,” Roxas introduces, pointing between he and his older brother.

“What brings ya here, Noctis? Last I heard you were stumped on your investigation,” Zack remembers.

“I still am,” Noctis admits with a sigh, perching on the dusty desk in their motel room. “I don’t suppose you four have heard any rumors of what might have happened to those girls?”

“Nope,” Axel responds just a little too quickly.

Noctis fails to notice.

“Yeah, I just can’t wrap my mind around it… Things aren’t right in this town. Have you picked up on anything?”

“Like things that go bump in the night?” Vanitas teases, and Noctis glances over at him.

“In a way, yes. I’ve been reading this lore on vampires,” Noctis explains excitedly as he pulls a tattered book from his bag. “It sounds crazy, I know, but it would explain those girls’ mysterious deaths! I found small puncture wounds on each of their necks. I guess it could be a coincidence, but I don’t know…” the man rambles.

Roxas shoots Axel and Vanitas glares, and the redhead smiles sheepishly. It’s a little too easy to lose their self-control.

“You’re right, it does sound crazy,” Zack finally states.

“Does it?” Noctis asks with a sigh, and they all nod. “Alright… Yeah, I guess you’re right... Sorry to bother you, I don’t even know why I came here. I’ll be going now.”

He nods at the men as he stands up and moves towards the door, quickly darting out and into the hallway.

“Bookworm type?” Roxas guesses once Noctis is out of earshot.

“Big time. Now let’s go, if I don’t feed I’m going to shrivel up,” Zack complains as he leads the way out of the motel room.

❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈

Noctis is disappointed, to say the least. He had hoped that the men would agree with his theory, pat him on the back and call him a genius… Instead, here he is sulking home and feeling like a failure. As he walks up the steps to your house he asks himself for the hundredth time why he took on this case.

The second he opens the door, the one bright aspect of his assignment greets him. You’re sitting on the floor, drumming your fingers on the floorboards as you stare up at the ceiling with a confused expression.

“You keep glaring like that and you’re gonna burn a hole in the ceiling,” he jokes as he slams the door shut.

Keeping the back of your head against the wall you move your head a bit to stare up at the smirking man.

“Yeah, wouldn’t that be something,” you agree with a small smile.

His boots clack on the floor as he walks towards you, slumping down beside you. His legs reach out a lot farther than yours, you realize with an amused grin.

“What’s so funny?” he asks, breaking the silence.

“Your legs, they’re so much longer than mine.”

He chuckles, glancing at where your feet are in proportion to his.

“We can’t all be short,” he teases.

You look up at him with a fake-hurt expression, and he starts to laugh. It’s nice and soft, sending waves through your heart. The smell radiating off of him is suffocating you, but you do your best to stay unaffected and keep your expression even.

Noctis sighs loudly, and your stomach tightens as he leans forward and rests his forehead against yours. His eyes are staring deep into yours, and you’re officially drowning in his gaze.

“You’re going to get me in trouble, Miss Webster.”

Without another word he stands to his feet, stepping over you as he makes his way towards the staircase. Your eyes follow him as he takes the stairs two at a time, before disappearing around the corner.

Vampires, humans, detectives…

… Oh, what a tangled web you’re weaving.


	8. A Tangled Web

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: There's IMPLIED sex at the end. If you don't like that type of stuff, skip the ending :3

❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥

Noctis was right, you realize with a sly smile, you are trouble.

Why else would you be standing in the man’s empty room, patiently waiting for his return?

‘You’re going to get me in trouble, Miss Webster’… What did he mean? Because you’re a vampire? No, there’s no possible way he could know. It had only been 24 hours since your transformation anyway. The guy might be a detective, but there’s no way he’s that good.

A hand trails down his desk, landing on a small, black notebook. You glance towards the doorway before flipping it open. The curiosity was too much to bear. A hand-drawn picture of a man wearing a long, black cloak with fangs protruding from his mouth stands in the middle of the page, with random words surrounding the drawing.

_Night_

_Wicked_

_Hell_

_Dark_

_Murder_

_Webster_

_Zedler_

_Hunter_

_Vampire_

“What are you doing, Miss Webster?”

You jump, a hand leaping to your chest as you take a step back from the desk in surprise. Glancing towards the doorway, you smile sheepishly at a frowning Noctis.

“I-I’m sorry, I came in here looking for you, and I just…” you trail off as he starts to walk towards you. “I’m just so curious about the case, and your progress.”

_And why my and Zedler’s names are in your book_.

“It’s just the bitter ramblings of a hopeless man,” Noctis mutters, reaching behind you to close his notebook.

“I’m sorry,” you repeat, watching cautiously as his second hand trails to the desk, caging you in his arms.

“Don’t be,” he retorts.

The words come out in a breathy tone, his scent enveloping you. It’s different than Ven’s sweet, almost fruity smell. No, Noctis smells like power, intoxicating determination.

“What are you doing, Mr. Caelum?” you ask as one of his hands rests on your waist.

“Can’t you guess?”

As soon as the last word is out of his mouth his lips find yours, soft yet demanding. Your arms wrap around his neck, pulling him closer as he presses his body against yours. His mouth frees yours much sooner than you’d like, instead trailing down to your neck. As soon as his lips press against your warm flesh, your eyes start the uncomfortable pulsating as your mouth tingles uncontrollably. You have to taste him, you realize as your fingers dance along his exposed skin.

In a stroke of equal luck and disappointment, Noctis suddenly pulls back, stepping away from you. His eyes are wide as he stares at the wall behind you, looking like a young child who just got caught with his hands in the cookie jar.

“Noctis?” you speak up, reaching a hand towards him.

He flinches from your touch, slowly shaking his head.

“I… I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me,” he admits, sighing before his eyes dart up to yours. “You… intoxicate me.”

“… Intoxicate?” you repeat in a whisper.

“Yes. I can’t control myself around you,” he murmurs, walking towards you as he rests a hand on his cheek.

You stare up at the tall man, words caught in your throat. Was this the vamperic charm he was falling under, like you had with Zack? Or, is it something different?

“You should go. Your father is allowing me to stay in his house and I seduce his daughter… Not very professional.”

You nod silently, smiling a little before brushing past him and leaving his room. The feeling of his lips are still burning on yours, but one question remains:

Just who is being seduced?

❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥

“Can you pass the salt, my dear?”

The sound of your ever-smug fiancé’s voice resembles nails on a chalkboard as he leans close to you, and it takes everything in you not to push him away. Vanitas’ words have been ringing through your ears during the entire meal.

‘ _You had to know something was off with that family_ …’

“Here,” you mutter, thrusting the saltshaker in Kadaj’s waiting hands.

“Thank you, love.”

He leans down and presses his lips against your cheeks, and your already foul mood grows darker with annoyance. Noctis coughs awkwardly from the other side of the table, seemingly just as displeased with the action as you are. You glance over at the male, automatically smiling when your gaze locks with his. He cracks a grin before looking down at his meal, picking at the roast chicken.

“That’s a nice ring,” Kadaj adds, roughly grabbing your hand in his.

“Ow,” you complain, wincing slightly. He’s stronger than he looks.

“You shouldn’t be so rough with your fiancée,” Noctis snaps, his eyes narrowed at the smirking male beside you.

“Last time I checked, she was mine to do with as I please,” Kadaj retorts before turning his attention back to you. “Where did you get this?” he presses, touching your blue ring.

“It was a gift, from Naminé,” you reply, wiggling your hand free from his grasp.

“Very unusual,” he mutters as he looks back down at his half-empty plate.

While Noctis looks like he wants to leap across the table and strangle your fiancé, you immediately lose your appetite. A very similar ring is sitting on Kadaj’s finger, the red jewel sparkling in the light of the candles on the table.

… Could Vanitas be right?

❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥

“Miss Webster?” Noctis’ smooth voice calls out.

You glance up from your book, noticing he looks anything but amused. With a small smile you rest the book in your lap as you sit up straight on the couch, turning towards the male.

“You know you can call me [Name], Mr. Caelum.”

Noctis looks rather taken aback at this, but he nods along.

“Alright…. [Name]. There’s someone here to see you.”

“Who is it?” you ask excitedly.

“Well, he looks just like that Roxas… but he claims his name is Ven.”

At the sound of his name, Ven’s blond head pokes into the doorway, a huge grin on his face.

“Thanks, I got it from here,” Ven tells Noctis, brushing past the male as he walks towards you. He sits down beside you, and by the time you glance towards the doorway Noctis is already gone. “So, how was dinner?” he asks, earning your attention.

“How do you think?” you retort, and he starts to laugh.

“Did ya notice what I’m wearing?”

You tilt your head a little bit before Ven lifts his arm. Your father’s silver bracelet is loosely wrapped around his wrist.

“I’m glad you liked it,” you tell him with a tiny smile.

Ven sighs before leaning forward and resting his forehead against yours.

“I wish you would tell me what’s wrong,” he mutters, resting a hand against your cheek. “Did we… go too far? Did I hurt you?”

His goodness actually makes your heart break a little.

“No, no! Not at all Ven, you’re perfect. It’s just… complicated,” you murmur.

Ven still looks worried, so pushing aside all worries you place your hands on his chest as you tilt your head, capturing his lips with yours. The response is immediate as his free hand wraps around your waist, pulling you flush against him. The hunger builds in your gut as he deepens the kiss, and your eyes snap open as the pulsating feeling returns.

Quickly, you detach your lips from his and sit back on the couch, a hand covering your mouth.

“Sorry. Probably not the best idea with your father in the next room,” Ven laughs, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.

You merely nod in response, desperately willing the fangs protruding in your mouth to disappear.

❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥

There’s something hauntingly beautiful about watching the moon rise over the forest of Dover Hills. The pale light illuminates the seeping fog that hides the imperfections and secrets of the town. You know that somewhere out there, monsters are lurking in the shadows. Do you join them? Your head was staring to pound, telling you that it’s probably time to feed.

Before you can make a decision, a head pops up into your view, and you scream as you fall backwards from your windowsill.

“Sorry, sorry! I didn’t know you were there,” Zack apologizes, hopping into your room through the window and kneeling by your collapsed figure.

“What are you doing here, Zack?” you ask with a groan as you sit up.

It’s nearly midnight, and you’re only wearing your nightgown. Thankfully you had put a robe on earlier, because you’re already feeling vulnerable enough sitting in front of the smiling man.

“I brought you something.”

He pulls something out of his coat, and your eyes narrow as he thrusts a chunk of wood in your face.

“Gee, you shouldn’t have,” you mutter dryly.

He rolls his eyes before gesturing to the pointed edge of the wood.

“It’s a stake. The only way to kill a vampire is fire, beheading, or a wooden stake through the heart. Keep it with you at all times,” he tells you as he gently places the stake in your hands. “You never know when you might need it.”

You smile a bit as you stare down at the stake. It’s surprisingly light, and narrow.

“Where did you find this?” you ask, glancing up at him.

“Made it myself,” he replies proudly, moving off of his knees so he’s sitting down in front of you. “Everything alright?” he adds, noticing your sullen expression.

“Even with the bracelet, I can’t keep myself under control with Ven,” you admit softly.

… _and Noctis_.

“Now you know why I moved out,” Zack jokes, and you crack a grin as you roll your eyes.

“Not funny,” you counter, shooting him a look. “I mean, what is wrong with me? All I wanna do is drink my best friend’s blood!”

“Keep it down,” Zack laughs, running a hand through his hair. “You’re gonna wake the whole house.”

“… But I’m scared.”

“That’s why you need to learn how to hunt. You’re new to this, you don’t know how to control the urges.”

“I’m not hunting,” you argue.

“That’s what I said, too,” he agrees with a tiny smile. “I can teach you where to bite, so you can avoid snapping an artery.”

“That’s disgusting,” you mutter with a small shudder, and he shrugs sheepishly as he pulls a flask out of his coat. “… Is that alcohol?”

“Yeah. Drink some,” he tells you, tossing you the silver flask. “It dulls the urges.”

That’s all you need to hear before you throw your head back, downing a huge gulp. The liquid burns your throat, but almost immediately you can feel yourself falling back down to reality. Your head is clear, and an actual smile grows on your face.

“See? It’s not so bad,” Zack assures you with a grin.

“I actually feel like I’m going a little crazy,” you tell him with a laugh before taking another drink. “My emotions are all over the place.”

“All a part of being a vampire,” he retorts as he grabs the flask from your hands, taking his own sip.

You glance over at him, expecting to see a smile, but his expression is serious. As the drink courses through your veins you’re slowly becoming more and more aware of your surroundings. His half-buttoned shirt, your thin nightgown, the close proximity of his body to yours…

“What do you mean?” you blurt out, barely able to form a sentence.

The familiar tingle is starting to grow in your body, like a dull flame. Something in Zack’s blue eyes is drawing you in, making you forget about all other problems in your life and focusing only on him.

“Our emotions are heightened. We feel more than humans, and that’s our curse. Anger, love, jealousy, hatred, depression… lust,” he muses, his voice unusually soft.

“Yeah, I’m starting to get that impression,” you agree quietly, watching as he moves closer to you.

“… You know what you’re getting into, right?” Zack asks as one of his hands run through your hair. “I’m not like sweet little Ven.”

Zack’s hand rests near your ear, his fingers embedding themselves in your soft locks. He’s moving slow, however, waiting for a hint of approval from you. You smile as you move closer to him, his breath tickling your ear as you rest your cheek against his.

“Just do it already, Zack.”

You can hear him chuckle before his grip on your hair tightens, tilting your head as his lips roughly press to yours. You lose yourself into the heated kiss as he pushes you onto your back, his hand ripping off your robe as the kiss deepens.

It’s the complete opposite of Ven’s gentleness.

The ultimate symbolism of your transformation into a creature of sin and desire.

You smile into the kiss when you realize that you and Zack don’t even make it to your bed.


	9. Persuasion

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone is still enjoying the series! I prefer my Roxas shy and dark but since this is AU, I figured WHY NOT make him suave and smooth ;D

✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤

_Zack is sexy._

It might be blunt to say this, but it’s true. The way his dark hair falls over his face, his electric blue eyes, the sly smirk that grows on his face when he catches you staring at him… It’s impossible to not fall under his charms and into his waiting arms, giving you protection from a new and scary world.

_Noctis, on the other hand, is a gentleman is all senses of the word._

He’s intelligent, slightly snarky, and has a profitable career. Not to mention those looks that would make any girl swoon, his mysterious demeanor, the rare moments of intimacy he’s shared with you… You find yourself drawn to him, for it’s obvious that under his stoic exterior is a gentle and kind heart.

_And Ven… Sweet Ven._

He deserves so much better than you, the girl gallivanting with three different men in the darkness of night. It can’t be denied that you’ve cared for the man for over a decade, and he makes you feel like the most beautiful girl in the world. Your first love, offering you the promise of a happy life.

… but what can be done when you’re an immortal creature, not able to offer two mortals the life they desire?

All of this and more runs through your mind as you lie beside Zack, trailing your finger down his exposed arm. Sometime during the night you must have moved to the bed, but you cannot for the life of you remember when. The night is a blur of limbs, touches, feverish kisses… The memory causes your cheeks to flush as you bury your head in your pillow, unable to look at him anymore.

“You’re awake?” his groggy voice calls out, and you peer out from under your arm to see his bright blue eyes staring down at you.

“Y-Yeah,” you mutter, turning over slightly so you’re facing him. Your body aches. “Good morning.”

“Morning,” he murmurs, trailing off into a yawn.

“How’d you sleep?”

“I didn’t really… Remember?” he teases with a coy smirk, cupping your face in his hands as he drags you closer to him. His lips press against yours, one of his hands lightly trailing down your neck as he pulls away. “I’m gonna get going, though. We need to start brainstorming on how to save your life.”

“What do you mean?” you ask, sitting up slightly as Zack sticks his arms into the sleeves of his white, button-up shirt. He starts to fasten the buttons, glancing over his shoulder at you.

“Do you really think Sephiroth is gonna stop just because you no longer have hunter’s blood? Vampires are dropping dead all around the world, and the source of that power is coming from here, Dover Hills.”

He starts to slip his pants on, and you avert your gaze to the ceiling out of embarrassment.

“You need to eat,” he tells you, and you glance over at him. Thankfully he’s fully clothed.

“Yeah, I’m sure breakfast is waiting downstairs.”

“No, I mean… eat. You’re looking pale.”

“Oh…” you mutter, holding the blanket to your chest as you sit up in bed. “Yeah, I guess I’ll find someone…?”

Zack laughs, leaning over the bed to give you a quick kiss. His lips hover over yours for a second before he starts to smirk, pushing himself back onto his feet.

“Roxas should still be in the forest, he usually hunts in the morning. Go find him.”

You nod and smile, watching as the tall man walks across your room and hops out of your window, presumably landing on the ground below with ease. Sighing loudly you flop down on your bed, pulling the covers up over your head as you ask yourself just what the hell is going on with your life.

✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤

What does one wear for a hunt?

There’s a question you never thought you’d ask yourself… Settling on a long black dress and dark heels (no gloves for today… what’s the point?), you quickly slip through your window, leaping forward. Your eyes are clenched shut, but when you collide with the ground you barely stumble.

“Heh. Guess I’m getting stronger,” you muse with a confident smirk, shrugging your tan cloak over your shoulders as you move towards the forest.

Thick fog greets you, lapping at your heels. The moisture is uncomfortable, but for the first time in your life, you are thankful for the fog. It shields you from the world, allows you to travel without notice. It’s funny how much one’s mind changes once they die.

After a few minutes of searching for the blond, you’re starting to lose patience. Your head is absolutely pounding, and weakness is starting to creep up into your body. It’s uncomfortable, and with each step you can feel yourself craving blood. They were right; after that first taste, the taboo feeling is gone and your whole being seems to revolve around blood.

A small crunching noise can be heard in front of you, and you come to a stop.

_Your prey._

Quietly, not making a noise, you dart behind a tree and peer out. A young woman is humming softly, picking up branches of wood from the ground. She’s kneeling over, her hair pulled back into a bun.

_The perfect prey._

Your mouth waters as you drop your cloak to the ground. Your eyes pulsate, your mouth tingles, and without thinking you fly forward with the speed of a lion.

The poor thing didn’t even see it coming.

✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤

Roxas’ morning really isn’t all that different from anyone else’s.

He shaved a thin layer of stubble that had been starting to grow on his face.

He brushed his teeth.

He took a few shots of rum, which probably isn’t normal at 6:00 A.M., but don’t judge him. He’s really not a morning person, and sharing a room with Axel can get trying after awhile.

And then, after getting changed, he head out into the woods to stalk and feed off of a young girl.

See? Not that different.

Or at least that’s what he tells himself as he drags an unconscious girl behind a tree, hiding her body while she sleeps off his abuse. Her hair is matted on her blood-stained neck, and with a scoff Roxas turns on his heel and walks away, leaving her alone and concealed in the fog.

A muffled gasp can be heard nearby, and Roxas’ ears perk up. Not ready to go back to the motel yet anyway, he shoves his hands in the pocket of his coat and heads in the direction of the noise. The sun has barely risen, not that it matters. He had yet to see the sun in Dover Hills. Every day is dreary and sad, with dark clouds constantly blocking out the sun.

It was truly a beautiful sight.

Roxas finally comes to a stop, his lips curling up in a smirk when he spots you kneeling over a girl, wiping your lips clean as you pant for air. He can’t see your face, but he can feel your fear.

“She’s dead,” Roxas calls out, walking towards you.

“How can you be sure?” you ask nervously, not even glancing at the blond behind you.

“I can't hear her heart beating anymore,” he replies, and you finally peer up at him.

“What?!” you cry, and he taps his ear, resembling his brother a great deal. “Oh yeah… Guess mine haven’t grown in yet.”

“It takes time,” Roxas tells you as he helps you to your feet, his gloved hands gently grasping your bare ones. “You have to practice, though.”

“Really?” you ask, and he nods. “Are you free right now, to help me?”

“I have all the time in the world, [Name].”

You roll your eyes as he starts to laugh lightly, one of his hands still holding yours as he leads you deeper into the forest.

✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤

There’s a spring in Zack’s step as he saunters through the forest, happily munching on an apple he plucked from your back yard. He can’t say he feels alive, since that hasn’t been the case for over a century. But there’s nothing quite like a long night spent-

“Where the hell were you last night?”

Zack almost has a heart attack, choking on a piece of apple as he holds onto the door frame of Vanitas’ hideout. Standing in the room are two very unamused figures, and one smiling girl.

“Do I need to check in every night?” Zack retorts, coughing a bit to get the apple chunk out of his throat.

“Probably, if you want to be safe. There _are_ some vampire hunters running around,” Axel points out.

“Alright well I’m fine, so let’s move on,” Zack mutters, walking towards the trio.

“… You seem guilty,” Vanitas notes with narrowed eyes.

Zack glances between the three, his stomach sinking when he spots the sly smirk on Naminé’s face.

“You were with [Name], weren’t you?” she guesses quietly.

“Were you?!” Axel presses with an excited grin.

Naminé’s eyebrows rise, practically telling him ‘don’t you dare lie to me’.

“… This is why I hate having witches around,” Zack finally mutters, sighing as he hangs his head.

“I don’t need to be a witch to see what’s on your neck.”

Zack’s hand flies up to his neck, his eyes wide with embarrassment as Vanitas and Axel start to smirk.

“Ha, she got you good,” Axel laughs as Zack turns around to face the grimy mirror on the wall, studying the dark bite mark on his neck with a frown.

(But, although he’d never admit it, the thought of you marking him was slowly bringing a smile to his face).

✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤

“Go get me an apple,” Roxas points to an apple tree in the distance, “and come back here in three seconds.”

“Okay, but that’s impossible.”

Roxas rolls his eyes, shooting you a look before running forward. He disappears, a blond blur running back and forth. In the blink of an eye he’s standing front of you, a bright red apple gripped in his pale hand.

“Is it?” he asks, laughing as he tosses the fruit to you.

You catch it, frowning at the apple in your hands. How could he expect you to run so fast?!

“Give into the darkness,” he whispers in your ear, moving so that he’s standing behind you. His hands rest on your hips, pulling you back against him. “There’s so much untapped power inside of you. Give into it.”

‘ _I couldn’t let the girl my little brother likes be killed by a Zedler_ ’

Vanitas’ words ring through your ears as the blond holds you close, his fingers dancing along your hips. You glance back at Roxas, who’s staring down at you with half-closed eyes. He suddenly gives you a strong push, and you stumble forward.

“Run!” he yells, and with a roll of your eyes you turn your attention to the apple tree.

You focus on Ven’s embrace. Noctis’ kiss. Zack’s touch. Roxas’ lips…

You all but fly to the tree in less than a second.

✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤

“So, how are we going to get close to the Zedlers?” Axel asks, twirling a bottle of whiskey in his hands.

“No clue,” Vanitas growls, snatching the bottle from the redhead’s hands and taking a swig.

“Why can’t we just sleep and then figure something out?” Zack complains with a yawn.

“Because some of us are actually taking this seriously,” Axel counters, and Zack shoots him a look from his reclined position.

“I think I might have an idea,” Naminé speaks up softly, her blue eyes twinkling with sudden realization.

✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤

After only an hour with Roxas, you felt like a whole new person. Your reflexes are fast as lightning, you can hear people chatting in the town even though you’re hundreds of feet away, and your strength only continues to grow. You were even able to rip a thick branch off of a tree with your bare hands. It was exhilarating, and as impossible as it sounded, you felt alive.

“Oh my gosh, why didn’t I become a vampire years ago?!” you exclaim, clenching and unclenching your fist.

“That would have been a bad idea,” Roxas laughs, shaking his head.

“Why?” you ask, turning to face him.

“Who would want to stay a young girl forever? You’re the perfect age now. Grown up and…” He trails off, glancing towards a tree as he clears his throat. You narrow your eyes at him, but he continues speaking. “Besides, this lifestyle isn’t all fun and games.”

“How so? Seems like it to me,” you argue.

He smiles sadly, resting his back against a nearby tree as he studies you carefully.

“We’ll see if you’re still saying that after a century. You can’t get close to anyone, because they’ll eventually realize you don’t age. Everyone you love will die, unless you’re lucky enough to fall in love with another vampire. But that’s rare. Most of us descend into madness.”

Well, if you had a smile on your face before, it was certainly wiped away now. Roxas chuckles, reaching a finger out to close your opened mouth.

“That can’t be all that shocking,” he muses softly. “We’re agents of darkness, Miss Webster.”

“Don’t call me that,” you complain, taking a step towards him. “My name’s [Name].”

You glance down as one of his hands grabs yours, his fingers linking through yours. It’s a simple gesture, but it’s enough to calm your suddenly anxious nerves. You find yourself questioning just why you originally thought the blond was so crabby in the first place. The more you get to know him, the gentler he seems, almost like he’s craving acceptance and assurance that he’s not a monster.

“[Name],” Roxas corrects, his tone soft. “You’re a fast learner.”

You laugh lightly, resting your back against the tree so that you’re standing beside the male.

“There’s still something I didn’t teach you, though.”

“What’s that?” you ask, glancing up at him.

“Manipulation,” he replies, running a hand through the ends of your hair as he moves so that he’s standing in front of you, trapping you between him and the tree. “It’s the easiest way to feed. Axel and Vanitas prefer killing their prey, but… I’m different.”

Roxas leans down, nuzzling his nose into the crook of your neck. Your breath catches in your throat as his free hand rests on your hip.

“I’ve learned, that all it takes is a little…” he chuckles against your skin, “persuasion.”

“And how do you do that?” you ask quietly, your thoughts muddled. All that’s on your mind is the man’s touch, like a steady beat…

_RoxasRoxasRoxas_

“Isn’t it obvious?” he retorts as he releases your hand.

You frown in disappointment, until a gloved hand reaches up to your chin, forcing your head back as he stares down at you with half-lidded eyes.

“… I think you need to show me more,” you find yourself replying unable to escape his gaze or his grasp.

You’re like a moth attracted to the flame, trapped in its steady glow and hypnotized by its beauty.

“As you wish,” Roxas murmurs, smirking before he lowers his lips to yours.

The action hits you from your head to your toes, your body tingling as a fire grows inside of you. You want, you _need_ more of him.

The kiss deepens as his hand rests against the side of your neck, coaxing you into his arms as you fall further down the Rabbit Hole.


	10. Fallen Angel

❃ ❃ ❃ ❃ ❃

_Zack is sexy._

_Noctis is a gentleman._

_Ven is sweet._

But Roxas… Roxas is dark. The only light parts of him are his eyes, his skin, and his hair. His humor is dark, his tone is dark, his heart is dark. A creature that lurks in the shadows. And yet, as you’re starting to get to know him, the more you seem to be chipping away at his rough exterior, revealing a gentler soul. No, he’s no Ven. But he’s Roxas, and that’s just as good.

“Hey,” Noctis speaks up as you walk into your kitchen for breakfast.

You glance down at him, nodding and smiling in greeting. His eyes are narrowed, leaning in close to you as you sit down.

“What’s the matter?” you ask, feeling slightly nervous as he studies you like a bug under a microscope.

“What’s that on your neck?” he asks, running a slender finger down your aforementioned skin.

Your cheeks flush as you press a hand against your neck, laughing awkwardly as he shoots you a bewildered look.

“Oh, I think a mosquito bit me,” you lie.

“Huh,” he mutters, sounding like he doesn’t believe you whatsoever.

The worst part is that you have no idea if the marks on your neck are from Zack or Roxas.

Poor Noctis.

It must be hard to like someone so broken.

❃ ❃ ❃ ❃ ❃

How did you end up here? All you wanted to do was talk to Naminé, very much in need of some girl time to forget about the many male faces swirling around in your mind. Instead, you’re fending off a laughing Axel while he sends punches and kicks in your direction.

“Stop,” pant, “it,” pant “Axel!” you cry, ducking and dodging his lightning-fast limbs.

“Do you wanna learn how to fight, or not?!” he retorts.

You shriek as one of his legs hit yours, sending you tumbling to the ground. His laughter rings through the trees, and you shoot him a dirty look as you sit up.

“I can’t believe you actually hit me!” you exclaim, brushing off your dress as you stand up.

“Kicked,” he corrects with a sly smirk. “Besides, I’m not here to take it easy on you. Anyone you go up against sure won’t.”

“Oh, yeah?” you press, leveling your fists in front of your chest.

Axel smirks again, about to reply… before you leap forward and collide your fist into his squared jaw. He doesn’t stumble, but there’s a shocked look on his face as he stares down at you. You smile as his eyes narrow.

“Okay, Miss. Vampire. Don’t say I didn’t warn you,” he muses, smiling as he twirls a small blade between his fingers.

You gasp in pain as he grabs your shoulder, pulling you forward as the blade sheaths itself directly in your heart.

❃ ❃ ❃ ❃ ❃

Dead, lifeless eyes.

That’s all the Noctis can see when he tries to sleep. His nights are long, and as tired as he may feel, he cannot erase the images of those five innocent victims, begging for help and vengeance. As hard as he might try, and as many times as he’s been mocked for this theories, he can’t shake the feeling that something is wrong in Dover Hills. Even the most skilled of men would be unable to drain a full-grown human of all of their blood. It’s impossible.

“Mr. Caelum!”

A voice draws Noctis’ attention, and he comes to a stop as he glances over his shoulder. The simple-minded undertaker is running towards him, frantically waving an arm in the air.

“What’s wrong?” Noctis asks as the man stops before him, slightly winded as he tries to catch his breath.

“Two… More…” the man spits out.

“Two more what?” Noctis asks with narrowed eyes.

“Bodies! They were discovered today, by a hunter in the woods!” the undertaker exclaims excitedly.

A surprised expression grows on Noctis’ face before he quickly nods once.

“Take me to them,” he orders, jogging behind the undertaker as the two of them rush towards the woods.

❃ ❃ ❃ ❃ ❃

Cool air fills your lungs as you gasp for breath, sitting up straight as a hand flies to your chest. Your dress has a small tear in it over your heart, where Axel’s blade presumably rested. Sitting on a boulder beside you is the smirking redhead, chuckling to himself as he wipes your blood off on a white handkerchief.

“You stabbed me!” you realize, eyes widening in horror.

Axel’s emerald eyes dart down to you, the smile still on his face.

“Yeah,” he agrees, sheathing the blade in the holster of his pants. “Don’t be afraid of death. You can’t keep acting scared.”

“I wasn’t,” you argue with a scoff.

“Yeah, right,” he laughs as he hops off of the large rock, landing on his feet. He starts to walk closer to you, and you automatically take a step back. “See? Scared. I’m not going to actually hurt you. A stab through the heart is nothing for you anymore.”

“This is so weird,” you mutter, glancing down at your chest. It doesn’t even hurt.

“You get used to it after a few centuries,” he replies with a small shrug.

“… Just how old are you?” you ask with narrowed eyes, and he glances down at you.

“Do you really wanna know?” he counters. You nod. “312 this summer.”

“What?!” you exclaim.

“Roxas is 311, Vanitas is 313. Zack’s the young one, only 127,” Axel explains with a small laugh. “The Zedlers, though… They’re all at least 600.”

You had never felt more young and naïve in your whole life.

“That’s a lot of living,” you finally mutter, resting your back against the rock where he had previously been sitting.

“Tell me about it,” he agrees, crossing his arms over his chest.

A smirk suddenly starts to grow on your face as you push yourself off of the rock, taking a step towards him.

“I have one more question for you,” you tell him as you clasp your hands behind your back.

“Go for it,” he responds with a shrug.

“Can an old man really fend off someone so much younger?”

You can see his eyes narrow before your smirk widens and you dart forward, appearing behind him. Before he can stop you, you grab the knife from his holster and hold it to his side.

“You’re catching on fast,” he chuckles, peering over his shoulder at you. “But why are you hesitating?”

“Wha-“

You trail off as he rounds on you, snatching the knife from your hand and resting the tip against your neck.

“Now who’s the old man?” he mocks with a cocky grin.

❃ ❃ ❃ ❃ ❃

Death.

It’s all around him. Not only the stench, but there’s a certain heaviness that fills the air when there’s a corpse nearby. And the air is certainly heavy in the forests of Dover Hills this afternoon.

“She’s been gone for days,” the undertaker speaks up, nodding towards a young girl.

Her brown hair is tied up in braids, but oddly enough her face has absolutely no sense of fear. She looks relaxed, and peaceful. Not the look you would expect on the face of a murder victim.

“What about that one?” Noctis asks, nodding off the in distance where another body lies.

“She passed more recently. Less than 24 hours ago.”

“Damn it,” Noctis mutters, running his hands down his face as he starts to walk away.

“What, too much for you to handle?” the undertaker calls out in a teasing tone, but Noctis doesn’t stop walking.

He keeps putting one foot in front of the other, feeling like he’s walking in a daze. Two more girls had died because he couldn’t pull himself together and solve this case. What kind of detective is he, anyway? Just as his self-loathing is reaching new heights, Noctis trips over something on the ground. He catches himself on a tree trunk, glancing behind him at the culprit. Immediately bile rises to his throat as he doubles over, throwing up his breakfast.

Lying there on the ground with eyes wide and glossy is a young woman, her hair neatly pulled back into a bun.

“Shit,” Noctis murmurs, wiping his mouth with the back of his gloved hand as he takes a step towards the body.

There’s something different about her. The others had been drained completely, but this one… this one still had a bit of color to her skin, some blood still in her body. Her face is tightened in fear, not the slightest bit at peace. And the wound… it’s rough, lacking the perfected neatness of the other victims. With a frown Noctis kneels beside the girl, doing his best to avoid looking at her face as he leans in close, studying the wound.

A gloved finger slides over her neck, picking up a reddish substance. Noctis raises his hand up, smelling the material. Another wave of nausea crashes over him. The reddish substance isn’t blood…

… It’s lipstick.

❃ ❃ ❃ ❃ ❃

“I’m quitting!” you decide, leaning against a tree as you try to catch your breath.

Axel is fast, faster than Roxas and Zack combined. Plus there’s a certain grace to the way he moves, almost like a dancer. He was giving you a run for your money, that’s for sure, and after dying five times you were more than ready to rest.

“Aw c’mon [Name], I thought you wanted to train!” he teases, resting his hands on his hips.

“I do, but… what are the odds I’m going to be in a death match with another vampire?” you ask, tilting your head slightly as you stare up at the redhead.

“Seeing as how you’re engaged to a super old vampire whose father is trying to kill your family… I’d say the odds are pretty high.”

You frown. Why did all of these guys keep bringing up your fiancé? It’s almost like they thought about him more than you did.

“I can’t believe I’m still engaged. What’s the point?”

“You mean because you can’t have kids?” he replies.

Your heart leaps up to your throat, feeling your legs buckle a little at his statement.

“W-What?” you stammer, holding onto the tree for balance.

“You didn’t know?” Axel asks, raising an eyebrow. “We can’t have children in this state. Kind of goes against the whole undead thing.”

“Are you sure?” you press quickly, and he smiles sadly.

“With as long as we’re been around, trust us; we know. It’s impossible.”

“Oh, my God,” you mutter, a hand resting lazily over the hole in your dress. “I can never have kids. That’s-“

“A blessing,” Axel interrupts, and your gaze darts up to his.

“How so?”

“It’s the best part of being a vampire, besides the immortality. No ties to anyone. You’re free to do as you please, with who you please.”

You shake your head as you sit on the ground, your knees crossed.

“That’s just sad, Axel,” you finally respond softly, looking up at him. “Is that how you’ve spent the past three centuries? Alone?”

A small smile pulls at Axel’s lips as he stares down at you. As strange as it is to admit, Axel can’t remember the last time anyone has shown actual concern towards him. His mother, maybe?

“Not the whole time,” he argues, sitting down on the floor in front of you. “Spent a lot of it with Roxas. Too much maybe, we’ve been kind of at each other’s throats the past 50 years.”

You let out a laugh, and he cracks a lopsided grin.

“I can tell,” you agree with a nod. “How’d you guys, um...“

“Take the dark plunge?” he guesses. “Vanitas. In our hometown, he was friends with some really strange people. Our village was attacked one night, everyone was killed. But Vanitas… he saved us. Turns out he had transformed a few years earlier, so he had us drink some blood while we were lying there dying of our wounds. When we woke up he was gone, only left some written instructions on the transition period. Roxas and I have been together pretty much ever since. Took a break in the 1600s though, Roxas got caught up in the Italian Renaissance.”

“Roxas did?!” you repeat in disbelief. Axel laughs.

“Don’t tell him I told you, he’d never admit it.”

You smile, giggling a little at the idea of Roxas in Italy, sitting at a café and drinking wine while he drowns himself in a world of beauty, art, and knowledge. It actually suited him pretty well.

“What about Zack?” you finally ask.

“Met Vanitas in Massachusetts, I think? He turned willingly… Always a bit of a daredevil, that kid.”

“Wow…” you mutter, glancing down at your hands. “You guys are so OLD!”

He rolls his eyes as you stare to laugh, resting the back of your head against the tree trunk as you glance up at the dark sky. Clouds are looming in the distance, threatening to rain on you at any second.

Axel’s gaze, on the other hand, is locked on your figure sitting before him. It was strange hanging out with you, a vampire so new to the lifestyle that you’re still clinging onto your humanity. His attitude towards you was drastically changing throughout the afternoon. Sure, he had found you attractive before, but the ever-trusting naiveté surrounding you was suffocating, making the redhead want to strangle the compassion out of you. But he was finally warming up to you, transfixed by every aspect of you.

It was nice, feeling alive again.

“Here,” you murmur, interrupting his thoughts as you thrust a flask in his face.

“Booze?” he guesses with an excited grin.

“Blood,” you correct, and his eyebrows tick up in amusement.

“Little morbid for sweet little [Name],” he teases as he plucks the flask from your hand.

“The only way to stay in control around Noctis and Ven is to drink a little throughout the day,” you explain with a heavy sigh.

Axel frowns a bit before taking a swig.

“Sorry,” he mutters, not knowing what else to say.

“Does it get easier, dealing with the urges?” you ask, accepting the flask from his extended hand.

“Honestly? Not really.”

“Fantastic,” you grumble.

“At least you have us to help you through it,” Axel speaks up, and you glance over at him with a small smile.

“I can’t begin to thank you guys. I don’t know what I’d do without any of you.”

Axel cracks a grin, reaching out to rest a hand reassuringly on your shoulder.

“Stick with me, kid. We have a long road ahead of us.”

As the words leave his mouth, Axel can’t help but wonder if he’s referring to the group… or you and him.

❃ ❃ ❃ ❃ ❃

“They’ve been gone a long time,” Zack speaks up, glancing towards the dilapidated doorway of their hide-out.

“Worried that Axel’s alone with your girlfriend?” Vanitas asks with a mocking smirk.

“No,” both Roxas and Zack reply a little too quickly.

“I was talking to Fair, but nice job of outing yourself little brother,” Vanitas laughs as Roxas rolls his eyes and Zack starts to frown.

“I have a question,” Naminé states, giving a much-needed diversion in the conversation.

“What is it?” Roxas asks.

“Why do the Fleischers and Zedlers hate each other so much? I’ve never heard a specific reason.”

All eyes turn to Vanitas, who is no longer smirking. Instead he’s scowling, looking like he could flatten an entire village with his rage.

“It’s a really long story,” Roxas tells her softly.

“That bastard Sephiroth killed our parents,” Vanitas adds, sitting up in his chair as he glares at the wall. “Our father was beloved by everyone in our town, and Sephiroth saw him as competition. Never knew the Zedler’s were vampires, but Sephiroth’s jealousy only continued to grow. One night when we were young our parents were found mauled to death. I raised Roxas by myself, and once we found out it was Sephiroth that killed them…”

“We killed two of his sons,” Roxas adds with a small smirk.

“Drove the old man insane. He’s been on a crazed mission to kill all vampires ever since,” Vanitas finishes.

“He has a real superiority complex. Wants to be the last vampire in the world, along with his only remaining son,” Zack explains.

“… Then couldn’t he be behind the suspicious vampire deaths?” Naminé suggests.

The three men exchange glances before flying out of their seats.

❃ ❃ ❃ ❃ ❃

Ven couldn’t shake the feeling that something weird was going on. For the past few days you were like a whole different person, avoiding him at all costs and acting distant when you were willing to talk to him. It’s with a determined expression that the blond marches towards your house, unwilling to accept your detached demeanor any longer.

After loving you silently for so many years, it’s impossible to sit back and allow you to drift away without a fight.

Just as he’s about to jog up the stairs leading to your house, a noise causes him to stop in his tracks. It’s guttural, sending a small chill up his spine. Unable to ignore it, he finds himself walking around the side of your house. He sees a figure, standing by the back door of your house. They’re facing the wall, hidden in shadows. As Ven moves closer he recognizes that there’s not one person there but two, their bodies pressed together in a close embrace.

A gasp unwittingly leaves Ven’s mouth as he spots a flash of silver hair.

At the noise, Sephiroth raises his head from Leblanc’s neck, cold eyes glancing over at a gaping Ven. Your fiancé’s father with your step-mother… Just what did he stumble into anyway?

“I-I’m sorry,” Ven stammers, taking a few steps back before turning on his heel and running away.

His cheeks are flushed red, his head spinning. They were having an affair, they were-

“Going somewhere?”

Ven’s forced to come to a stop as a cloaked figure suddenly appears in front of him, long silver hair hiding his face.

“Y-Yes, I-“

He trails off in a pained gasp as Sephiroth reaches an arm forward, embedding the blade of the knife clutched in his hand through his stomach. Ven collapses to his knees, grabbing his side as blood starts to pour out onto the ground beneath him. Sephiroth smirks as he leans in front of him, resting his face near the blond’s.

“Maybe this will teach you to stay away from my daughter-in-law,” Sephiroth muses, his voice dripping with hatred as he sheathes the blade in even deeper.

Ven’s cries pierce the sky as sharp fangs attach to his neck.

Another fallen angel, claimed by the darkness.


	11. The Allure of Darkness

❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥

You sit up in bed, a harsh gasp escaping your lips as your eyes snap open. Shakily, a hand runs through your hair, trying to decipher your dreams from reality. A flash of silver, blood, death… A horrible, pained cry.

Quickly, you hop to your feet and march over towards the window on the other side of the room. You rest a hand on the glass, peering out at the forest below. The town is quiet, cloaked in the darkness of night.

Figuring it must have just been a dream, you return to your bed with a frown, wanting nothing more than to snuggle up into a warm chest and fall asleep listening to the steady beat of a certain someone’s heart.

❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥

A few hours later, you were more than ready to get changed and get the hell out of your house. It was the last place you wanted to be as of late, a reminder of your old life and the future that can never be yours. As you hurry down your hallway, your gaze lands on a familiar dark-haired male sulking around by the doorway to his room.

“Good morning, Mr. Caelum!” you greet, waving a bit as you walk towards him.

His back stiffens, not glancing back at you; instead his gaze stays focused forward, inside of his room.

“Is something wrong?” you ask softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. He shies away from your touch, darting inside of his room as he turns to face you. His usually gentle eyes are now narrowed and distrusting. “Did I do something to upset you?” you press, taking a step forward.

He stays rooted to the ground, though his gaze doesn’t soften whatsoever. He’s still watching you cautiously.

“I found something very strange in the woods,” he finally replies, walking over to his desk.

You step inside of his room warily, your heart racing. Did he figure it out? Could you or any of your new friends have carelessly left something behind?

“Here,” he adds, thrusting a piece of paper in your face.

You hesitantly grab it, staring down at a reddish smudge on the pristine, white paper.

“Is that blood?” you ask, raising your eyebrows as you focus your attention back on him.

“No,” he counters. “Lipstick, I found it on one of the bodies. I believe you wear the same shade, do you not Miss Webster?”

… _Crap_.

“No I don’t believe I do. Mine is more pink,” you scoff, tossing the paper back on his desk before glaring up at the male. “Just what are you accusing me of, anyway?”

Your hands are placed on your hips, doing your best to conjure a hurt expression. He sighs, rubbing his temple with his fingers as he clenches his eyes shut.

“I’m not accusing you of anything! I’m just… asking if you have a similar shade, so I can use it for reference.”

It takes everything in you not to breathe out a sigh of relief.

“I just might. Stay here, I’ll grab it.”

You smile up at him before turning on your heel and walking out of his room. Just as you’re about to walk into the hallway, a hand wraps around your wrist and pulls you back into a firm chest.

“I’m sorry if I upset you,” Noctis murmurs in your ear, his warm breath warming your neck.

You shudder slightly into his touch, fighting off the urge to take a quick nip at his intoxicating skin.

“I-It’s okay, Noctis. I over-reacted,” you tell him, peering over your shoulder.

Oh God, the look on his face is enough to make you want to sink into his arms, forget about everyone else and give into temptation… Hating yourself for it, you lean up to kiss him on the cheek before rushing out of his room and into the hallway.

You make a mental note to grab a lipstick that’s as pink as possible.

❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥

Another day, another afternoon filled with crippling hunger. The urge to jump everyone you run across is excruciating, and living 50 feet from a man who drives your senses crazy is absolute murder on your sanity. You couldn’t leave your house fast enough, practically running into the forest and towards the hideout. It was time to feed, and you weren’t about to do it alone; last time that happened, you lost control and a young girl died.

The walk is long, much too long. Something is weighing heavy on your heart with each step, as if impending doom is awaiting you. Brushing it off as paranoia you continue, snuggling into your warm cloak. Snow is falling on you from the gray skies above, but you barely feel the cold. All you feel is hunger.

It’s with a smile that you march towards the run-down hideout in the distance, recognizing a certain blond and redhead standing outside, huddled up in scarves and coats.

“Hey!” you greet, waving at the two of them.

They glance over at you, a look of panic crossing their faces.

“You’re not gonna want to go in there,” Axel tells you.

“Why not?” you ask with a small laugh. “Are you guys feeding without me or something?”

“If only it was that simple,” Roxas mutters with a sigh.

You frown as your eyes narrow slightly.

“Okay, what’s going on?”

“Just… trust us. Don’t go inside. You don’t wanna see it,” Axel presses.

“See what?!” you cry, stepping forward.

Roxas tries to block your path but you shove him out of the way, wrenching open the heavy door before either of them can stop you. The first thing you see is Namine perched on the bed, Vanitas resting against the wall, and Zack standing by the door with his arms crossed over his chest. They’re all looking rather sullen.

“What’s with the long fa…ces.”

Your voice cracks as you stare down at the bed, finally realizing that there’s a figure lying there, completely motionless. They’re fully clothed, their deep blue eyes staring up at the ceiling. Blond hair is hanging in front of their face, messy and covered in leaves. You’d recognize that hair anywhere…

“No!” you exclaim, charging forward.

Strong arms grab your waist, holding you as you’re flung backwards. You glance up, glaring at Zack as he holds you against his chest.

“Let me go, Zack!” you yell, feeling your eyes start to burn as tears threaten to form.

With a saddened expression he merely shakes his head, tightening his grip on you.

“Get back outside, [Name],” he snaps, pulling you backwards.

Seething with anger, you do everything you can to get free; kick, punch, wiggle, stomp. But his hold only continues to tighten on your waist as he pushes the door open with his foot. Finally, you kick back and hit him in the shin, as hard as you can. He grunts as his grip loosens, and you pry him off of you as you hurry forward.

“No no no,” you murmur, throwing yourself on the bed as you crawl towards the figure. “Please wake up, please wake up, Ven!”

You glance over his body, feeling your breath catch in your throat. There’s a gaping hole where his stomach should be, his shirt drenched in blood. Dried blood covers his neck, small puncture wounds clearly visible. Ven’s blue eyes are wide open and glossy, the fear evident in his gaze.

“Is he… is he dead?” you whisper.

“… Yes,” Namine replies.

As gently as you can you reach down, grabbing one of his hands in both of yours. It’s freezing cold, lacking his usual warmness. All life has been stolen from the man lying before you, now a crumpled and defeated heap of blood and agony.

“What happened to him?” you ask, rubbing your eyes on your shoulder in a feeble attempt to dry your tears.

“No idea. We found him by your house last night,” Vanitas tells you.

A sob leaves you as you lean your head down, resting it on his chest. Your nightmare… it was now reality, and you were unable to save him. After everything he had done for you, in his time of need you were asleep in your bed.

“I love you, Ven,” you whisper into his chest, your tears mixing with his dried blood. “Please don’t be gone. Please don’t leave me.”

As soon as the words leave your mouth you can feel a heaving motion underneath you, and you shoot up to a seated position. You’re greeted by rapidly blinking blue eyes, studying you with confusion.

“[N-Name]?” Ven stammers, coughing a few times as he reaches a hand out to cup your cheek. “Am I in heaven?”

“Oh brother,” Vanitas grumbles, rolling his eyes.

You, however, start to laugh and cry at the same time as you fling your arms around his neck, burying your face in his chest. You can feel his hands hesitantly rest on your back, holding you against him.

“I thought you were dead,” you mutter, shaking your head slowly.

“He was,” Axel speaks up, and you hesitantly pull away from the blond to glance behind you.

“Or is, depending on how you want to look at it,” Roxas adds with a small smirk, following the redhead into the hideout.

“What are they talking about?” Ven asks, his gaze fixated on you.

Your mouth opens and closes a few times. What are they talking about? He was very clearly dead seconds ago. Unless…

“You guys didn’t transform him…” you state, not even bothering to phrase the sentiment as a question. If they had you might just have to kill them all where they stand.

“Not technically,” Zack argues.

“Technically?!” you repeat, and Ven slowly sits up, though he’s grabbing his stomach where he had been stabbed.

“Okay, what’s going on? My head is pounding, I feel horrible, and I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Ven complains.

“What the hell did you do to him?!” you exclaim as you hop onto your feet. “It’s one thing for me, but Ven… He deserves better than this lifestyle!”

“How about you hear the full story before you snap our necks? If it wasn’t for us your beloved blondie would be dead,” Vanitas interjects with a scoff.

“It’s true,” Namine adds softly, glancing down at Ven. “I’ve been slipping Vanitas’ blood into Ven’s food every day, after your transformation… just in case anything should happen to him. Things are starting to get dangerous here, [Name].”

Your eyes widen as Ven starts to gag.

“Those muffins you’ve been giving me had blood in them?!” he cries, sticking his tongue out with disgust.

“Better get used to it,” Axel laughs.

“And why is that?” Ven presses. “Can someone just tell me what’s going on? Why am I covered in blood? Why do I feel so horrible? Why am I in the abandoned house in the woods?!”

He’s starting to look panicked, and you quickly sit down beside him once again and grab his hand in yours. Gently, you start to play with his fingers, doing the one thing you can think of to ease the pain of what he’s about to hear.

“You know those stories, about things that go bump in the night and lurk in the shadows?” Zack speaks up, his gaze locked on Ven’s hand clutched in yours. “You’re one of them now.”

“A vampire, to be specific,” Axel adds.

“Excuse me?” Ven laughs, looking around the room. He glances over at you with an amused smile, but that smile is quickly wiped off when he notices your serious expression.

“They’re right, Ven. It’s why you’re feeling so faint, and your head is pounding. There’s also an insatiable hunger spreading through your body,” you explain sadly.

“Can you remember anything about what happened last night?” Namine asks.

“Well… I was walking to [Name]’s, to see why you’ve been acting so weird lately… I heard a noise, and I walked around to the back of your house… Sephiroth! He was with your step-mother! Alone…” Ven remembers, eyes wide as he stares down at you.

“WHAT?!” you exclaim, squeezing his hand.

“That’s disgusting,” Roxas laughs, though he immediately stops when Namine shoots him a look.

“Yeah, but they saw me. Sephiroth appeared out of nowhere, and he… he stabbed me. Threatened me, told me to stay away from you. Then he…”

Ven trails off as he reaches a hand up to his neck. His skin has healed completely.

“Bit you?” Zack guesses, and Ven nods. “Yup. He’s a vampire, too. We all are, except Namine.”

“Even you? Is that why you’ve been so weird lately?” Ven asks you, resting his other hand on top of your interlocked hands. With a sigh you nod, resting your head on his shoulder.

“I wanted to tell you. But… who would believe me?” you muse, smiling a bit as he nuzzles his nose into your hair.

“You’re taking this awful well,” Vanitas notes with a scowl.

Ven pulls back from you, lazily shrugging his shoulders.

“To be honest, I’m… not too surprised. Girls start showing up drained of blood right when four mysterious newcomers show up to town? Pretty easy to put two-and-two together.”

You laugh a little at the annoyed expressions on Zack, Roxas, Vanitas, and Axel’s faces. Namine quickly stands from the bed, holding her hand out towards Ven.

“Give me something of yours,” she tells him. “I’ll charm it, so you can walk around in the sun.”

Without hesitation Ven slips your father’s bracelet from his wrist, delicately placing it in her extended palm.

“Be careful with it,” he begs, and she nods in understanding before marching out of the hideout.

“Well, you know what time it is then,” Axel muses, clapping his hands together excitedly.

“What’s that?” you ask with narrowed eyes.

“Meal time!” Zack replies, grinning widely.

“Does he have to?” you complain, clinging to Ven’s arm. The thought of your sweet, innocent friend drinking blood was too much to handle.

“Unless you want him to die… Then yeah,” Roxas says.

“I am hungry,” Ven muses as he stands up, not understanding Zack’s double-meaning.

The five of them start to walk out, but you stay put.

“Aren’t you coming?” Axel asks, noticing you’re not following them.

“No, I’m pretty tired,” you lie.

“I’ll stay with her,” Vanitas offers, flinging himself down face-first on the bed. “Already ate this morning anyway.”

“Alright we’ll be back soon… with our new recruit,” Roxas mutters, smirking slightly as he leads the group outside. “It’s overcast, so I don’t think he’ll burst into flames.”

Axel sniggers as he follows, and Zack rolls his eyes. Ven’s standing still, staring back at you.

“Go. I’ll be here,” you tell him, nudging him forward with your shoe as you start to smile softly. He grins, leaning forward to kiss your cheek before starting to walk away. “Ven,” you murmur, squeezing his hand as he pulls away. “I am… so sorry about this. It’s all my fault, I should have been there to save you…”

“No, [Name],” Ven coos, shaking his head as he grabs your shoulders. “I can’t say I’m happy, but… well, the possibility of forever with you isn’t exactly terrible.”

Your jaw drops open in shock as he shoots you a grin before jogging out the door.

“God, what an annoyingly self-righteous tool,” Vanitas speaks up from the bed, his voice muffled since his face is buried into his pillow.

“Don’t be an asshole,” you snap as you march towards him.

You can see the smirk on his face as he turns towards you, lying on his side.

“Do assholes tend to go out of their way to save friends?” he counters.

“Ven’s not your friend.”

He laughs as you sit on his bed, throwing yourself down with a loud sigh.

“No, but you’re almost like a friend.”

Your gaze darts to him, and the usual smirk on his face has been replaced by a slight smile.

“Are you… being nice?” you tease.

He rolls his eyes as he lazily wraps an arm around your waist.

“It happens once every few decades. Now be quiet, I’m exhausted.”

He pulls your back against his chest as he nuzzles his face into your neck, his golden eyes slowly closing. You gently start to gnaw at your lower lip, fighting off your escalating heartbeat.

“… Although I could be persuaded to do something other than sleep,” he murmurs into your ear, a hand trailing up your side.

Ignoring the shudder raising up your spine, you sigh and close your eyes.

“Just shut up and sleep, Vanitas.”

His tired laughter fills your ears before he falls silent, leaving you alone to your thoughts.

The guilt was suffocating you, and you were really wondering if there would be a day you don’t regret allowing Ven to become a monster.

❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥

“You didn’t bury the body?!” Kadaj cries, rounding on his smirking father.

“Why should I? Let your cheating fiancée find him,” Sephiroth counters, taking a swig from his bottle of brandy.

“What if it’s traced back to us?! That silly Ventus has the entire town wrapped around his finger. They love him.”

“It looked like an animal attack, dear,” Leblanc speaks up from beside Sephiroth, one of her hands trailing down his arm.

“Complete with stab wounds?” Kadaj adds dryly.

“I think we did you a favor. Less competition for dear [Name]’s affection.”

“As if I care!” Kadaj snaps, rolling his eyes.

“There’s more than just the blond. There’s that detective, he’s always seeking her out. And that man that stayed at our house last week, he follows her around like a puppy,” Leblanc points out, naming off the potential suitors for your affection.

“Why does it matter? I’m the one marrying her.”

“For now. I will rest much easier at night after the wedding is finalized,” Sephiroth decides.

“And then, we kill the girl and her idiot of a father,” Leblanc adds with a loud cackle.

“And so once the blood of a Hunter is spilt, the shift in power will tilt. Ones enemies will turn to dust, past wrongs becoming just. The Fleischer’s will never see it coming,” Kadaj muses with a sly smirk.

“Yazoo and Loz shall be avenged, my son,” Sephiroth agrees, his gaze darkening as he glances at the woman beside him. “And the three of us shall rule the world, the last vampires standing.”

“What a beautiful world it will be,” Leblanc agrees dreamily.

❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥

“Vanitas?” you whisper, breaking the silence.

“Hm?” he hums, stretching a bit.

You turn over, staring at the dark-haired male. His golden eyes flutter open, looking unusually vulnerable and… human.

“Am I a bad person?”

“Are you kidding?” he retorts with a laugh. “You’re one step away from swearing off human blood and switching to animals.”

“You can do that?!” you exclaim, and he shoots you a look.

“Only the weak pick that path. It’s horrible, like living with a constant hangover.”

“Ah. No thank you,” you mutter, shaking your head a bit.

“Why do you think you’re a bad person?” he presses, turning on his side so he’s facing you.

“I’ve killed someone. Caused my best friend to become a vampire…”

“And now you’re leading on a group of guys?” Vanitas finishes for you.

It was terrifying how well he was able to read your expressions.

“… Yes,” you agree in a whisper, burying your head into your pillow. “I’m awful. Why do I keep doing these things?! It’s like I can’t stop…”

“Then don’t.” You peer up at him, and he’s watching you with a blank expression. “Do whatever the hell you want. You’re immortal now, we don’t follow the rules of society.”

One of his hands rests on your waist, his fingers playing with the material of your dress. The familiar excitement builds in your stomach, his touch fanning the flame that’s constantly flickering in your body. Vanitas was right; as a vampire you constantly crave affection.

“We don’t?” you ask with a raise of your eyebrows.

“Not at all. The more you let go of past conceptions of the world you knew, the more you can immerse yourself in your powers. It’s,” he pulls you flush against him with a tug of his arm, “… exhilarating.”

One of your hands finds its way to the side of his face, your fingers dancing along his skin. It’s cool to the touch, like ice water, and his expression is impossible to read.

“Though I have to say, my brother and I going for the same girl… Never thought I’d see the day,” Vanitas muses, a small smirk growing on his face.

If it were happening to anyone else, it would be laughable… A girl, lying in the arms of a man who killed her. The ultimate clichéd love story.

“… Is that a problem?” you ask softly, and he starts to laugh.

“Not at all. We’ve always been competitive. I just tend to win.”

Your heart rate quickens as his lips curl up into a sly smirk, the arm resting around your waist tightening its grip as he pulls you closer, his free hand grabbing the back of your head as he roughly kisses you. Maybe it’s because he’s the only that gave you this power in the first place, but you find yourself drawn to Vanitas as he roughly deepens the kiss, his hand tugging at your hair as he rolls on top of you.

“I hope you’re not expecting an apology for killing you,” he murmurs as he breaks the kiss, pulling back slightly as he stares down at you. His golden eyes are almost twinkling with a mischievous glint. “I like you when you’re like this.”

“What, kissing you?”

“No. Unrestricted. Spontaneous. Tap into it.” His head ducks down, his teeth gently nipping at the nape of your neck. “Don’t underestimate the allure of darkness. Even the purest hearts are drawn to it.”

The second his hand grazes your waist your reach for his face, pulling him up as you quickly press your lips against his. You can feel him smirk slightly before he tilts his head to deepen the kiss, his hips gently grinding into yours.

Your guilt is soon forgotten, all thoughts revolving around the flames of desire bursting throughout your body.

❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥

The coming of winter means one thing to the church: the imminent holiday of Christmas. Little cherubs dancing around, singing angels, the baby Jesus watching over all merry celebrations… all symbolize the meaning of life and the season of giving. It’s the one day of the year where all darkness is expelled, leaving behind only light and goodness.

“Father Lombardi.”

The elder pastor turns his attention from the crucifix on the wall of the church, slowly turning around to greet the intruder. A white-haired man is walking inside of the church, brushing snow from his coat.

“Good evening, Mr. Webster. Did you receive my message?”

Your father nods slowly, coming to a stop before Father Lombardi, the head of the Catholic church in Dover Hills.

“Yes, an hour ago. Is anything wrong?” your father asks.

“… Something has come to my attention. It’s as we feared.”

Your father’s eyes widen, a hand resting on his chest.

“Can you be more specific, Father?”

Father Lombardi frowns as he glances out one of the windows of the church. The forests are especially dark tonight.

“They are back. I can feel them,” Father Lombardi muses, tearing his gaze to stare back at your horrified father.

“Who is back?” he presses quickly.

“Vampires,” Father Lombardi responds in a half-hiss. “Their numbers continue to grow. I think they’re planning something terrible.”

Your father’s lip twitches slightly before he turns on his heel, storming out of the church.

“Call the council, Father! I will not allow this town to turn to darkness again.”

“What will you do?!” Father Lombardi calls out to his retreating figure.

Your father’s eyes narrow as he glances towards the forest. Thick fog is lapping at the trunks of the trees, threatening to spill into the village below. A small smirk grows on his face as he peers over his shoulder at the confused Father.

“I think it’s time for a little old-fashioned hunt, Father Lombardi.”


	12. What's At Stake...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Beginning of the finale~ this series ends on chapter 17 so I hope everyone enjoys the road ahead!

✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤

“I think you should wear green. Or red. Maybe both, just go all-out this year.”

You glance back at your maid with an annoyed expression, and she starts to giggle lightly.

“Okay okay, so maybe that’s a little too festive,” Xion agrees, resting a hand on the door of your wooden closet.

“Just a little,” you mutter with a small smile.

“But Miss Webster, you always look so nice on Christmas. Do you really want to wear black to the annual Christmas Party?” she presses, rolling her eyes a bit.

You nod without thinking, a smirk starting to grow on your face.

“Of course. After all, this is my last Christmas before I’m married. Let’s treat this party like a funeral of my freedom.”

Xion shoots you a weird look before shrugging and turning her attention to your closet.

“Are you going with him this year? Your fiancé?” she asks.

You frown a bit as you glance out the window in your room. Perpetually dark skies rest over the town, a light layer of snow covering the buildings and houses.

“I doubt Father would let me go with anyone else.”

“Like Ven?” Xion guesses with a sly smile. “Or Noctis, actually. I bet he would love to escort you. There’s also Zack, though I haven’t seen him in awhile…”

… _and Roxas. Vanitas. Axel_ …

“Neither of those options would be acceptable,” you point out, a sullen expression now on your face. “Now find me something black, Xion. I refuse to pretend to be happy.”

“… Alright. But even if it kills me, I’m going to find a nice, colorful dress for you. Just because the rest of us are miserable doesn’t mean you have to be.”

You walk closer to the girl, tilting her face towards you by gently grabbing her chin.

“ _I think you really want to find me a black dress_ ,” you tell her, your eyes locking with hers.

Xion’s blank gaze suddenly turns cheerful as you release her.

“You’re right! Black it is!” she decides.

You feel a little guilty using your powers on her, but… you really didn’t feel like being festive this year.

✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤

The mood at the hideout is tense.

Though they’ve been in Dover Hills for a month now, neither Zack, Axel, Roxas, or Vanitas are closer to figuring out the Zedler’s master plan. And this annoys them beyond belief. Just what was that family up to, and how could they put them to a stop? At the moment, no viable solutions have been posed. Staking the father and son has been suggested, but it’s a dangerous option. There’s no doubt they’re working with a witch, and who wants one of those coming after them?

“Good morning!” Naminé greets, shocking the four men out of their thoughts as they glance over at the smiling blonde.

“Why are you so happy?” Vanitas asks with narrowed eyes.

“Yeah, we’re no closer to solving this thing than we were last month,” Roxas adds with a sigh.

“Forget about the case for a second,” she tells them, pulling four envelopes from the pocket of her white cloak. She passes them out to the men, continuing to smile.

“What’s this?” Axel asks, fiddling with the white envelope.

“Open them.”

“ _You are cordially invited to the annual Christmas Party, on the eve of December 24. Festivities will be held at Mayor Webster’s house_ – what’s this, Naminé?” Zack asks, looking over at the blonde.

“It happens every year. It’s more like a Ball than a party, so dress nice. There’s a tux shop, in town.”

“Ah, a dance!” Zack realizes with a small grin, glancing back at the three men.

“He’s so cute when he pretends to be human,” Vanitas teases sarcastically. “We don’t do dances.”

“The Zedlers will be there,” Namine points out, and their eyebrows tick up. “… and so will [Name]. I’m sure she’d love you to come.”

The four of them glance at each other before Roxas sighs in defeat.

“Fine, we’ll go to the stupid party,” he grumbles.

“I think it might be fun,” Axel decides with a wry smirk.

All thoughts float to you wearing a nice dress, twirling around on the dance floor and laughing carelessly…

Maybe Axel was right after all.

✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤

You couldn’t slip away fast enough, all but running down the snow-covered street towards Ven’s house. Thankfully his front door is unlocked so you fly inside, up the stairs, and into the third door on the left. His bedroom door is ajar, and you quietly dart inside. His bed is a mess of blankets, with tufts of blond hair sticking out. It’s freezing in his room due to the cold weather, and you quickly pry off your heels and tip-toe towards the bed.

“Ven,” you call out softly, being sure to not stand too close to him.

What if he hates you, for the mess you dragged him into? It was pretty unforgivable, inadvertently drawing him in to an immortal life as a creature of the night. Slowly, he turns around, and in one fluid motion he pulls back the covers and grabs your wrist, tugging you down beside him. With a sigh you curl up into his chest as he pulls the blankets over your bodies.

“I’ve been waiting for you to come check up on me,” he tells you with a small grin.

“Are you alright?” you ask, pulling back a little to study him. “I know the first few days are the hardest.”

“I feel horrible. My head’s pounding, my emotions are all over the place, and I’m starving.”

His head relaxes on the pillow as he turns on his back, staring up at the ceiling.

“If it makes you feel better, our Christmas Party is next week.”

“A night filled with an insatiable desire to eat everyone I come across. Can’t wait,” he mutters dryly.

You frown, facing the ceiling as well. Would the guilt ever subside? Hopefully, because it’s currently coursing through your being like a poison.

“I… am so sorry, Ven. I wish it had been me, instead of you.”

“It’s not your fault,” he quickly retorts, his blue eyes darting to you. “If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t be here now. There’s no way that Vanitas guy would have saved me if you didn’t love me.”

Your eyes widen as his smirk grows.

“O-Oh, you heard that…?” you ask slowly.

“Yup. First thing I remember hearing when I woke up, actually.”

You smile a bit as he wraps an arm around your waist, nuzzling his nose into the top of your head as he pulls you closer to him.

“It’s okay, though. I’ve loved you since before I can remember.”

You turn your head to glance up at him but you’re met with his lips, one of his hands resting on the side of your face as he holds you close to him. Immediately you deepen the kiss, your hands winding through his messy hair.

“I can’t control myself around you,” he mumbles against your lips, his blue eyes fluttering open to stare down at you.

“… Then don’t.”

He smirks, his hand embedding itself in your hair as he lips crash against yours, this kiss much less gentle and more demanding, as if he can’t get enough of you.

And the hunger continues to grow inside of you, all but consuming your body and mind completely.

✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤

“It’s perfect,” Sephiroth laughs as his eyes scan the long scroll of parchment before him. “Where did you find this?”

“Ansem’s desk. The fool left it out in the open,” Kadaj replies with a scoff.

“Father Lombardi, the medical examiner, the town prosecutor… There will be so many people at this party, so many people with power.”

The youngest Zedler smirks as his father lowers the parchment to his desk.

“… Will it be enough?” Kadaj asks.

“Oh, yes,” Sephiroth agrees. “This many people in the same room together… It will create more than enough energy.”

The two of them start to laugh quietly. It’s beautiful when a plan comes together perfectly.

✤ ✤ ✤ ✤ ✤

“Where have you been?”

The voice breaking through the silence startles you as you walk towards your house, and as you turn around you’re surprised to see Noctis walking towards you from the town.

“Around. What about you?” you ask, glancing up at the taller male as he comes to a stop in front of you.

“Around,” he repeats with a sly grin. “Just doing some research on the case.”

“Find out anything new?”

“No, unfortunately. This town is very secretive, I’ve learned,” he notes.

“Especially around outsiders. We’re not very trusting,” you admit with a small shrug as the two of you start to walk up the staircase leading to your house.

“You are though,” he points out, taking a step closer to you as the two of you come to a stop on your porch. “You’ve been nothing but accommodating to me.”

A gloved hand slides out of the pocket of his pants, gently resting on the small of your back as he takes another step towards you. You glance up at him, his nose mere inches from yours.

“I trust you,” you tell him with a small smile.

He chuckles, raising his free hand so that it rests on the side of your face. His thumb runs down your cheek, resting gently on your lower lip.

“Why? You’ve only known me for a month.”

“I just… do,” you laugh. The answer comes to you as if it’s obvious. The man has done nothing remotely wrong to you in the past month, besides drive you insane with his intoxicating scent. “Do you trust me?”

His dark eyebrows tick up for a second, his gaze locked with yours. Finally his face softens in a smile and he nods, his thumb resting back against your cheek.

“I do. Very much so.”

“How much longer will you be staying? For the case?” you ask.

The topic has never come up, but you can’t imagine his boss letting him stay in Dover Hills much longer. Noctis starts to frown, the humor gone from his eyes.

“Not much longer. At the first of the year I have to return to Richmond.”

Your heart sinks a bit, but you slowly place your hands on his shoulders, pulling him closer to you.

“Guess we might as well make this time count, huh?” he muses, smirking a little.

Dazed, you’re barely able to nod before he tugs you closer to him, his lips covering yours without another word. It’s a gentle enough kiss, with him slowly guiding you inside of your home as his hand runs through your hair. With a smile you pull back, staring up at him as he closes the door shut behind him.

“Aren’t you worried about my father seeing us?” you ask teasingly.

He smirks, slowly shaking his head as he walks towards you.

“Not at all,” he disagrees, cupping your face in his hands as he crashes his lips against yours.

Any possible complaints are lost as you pull him closer, feeling his scent enveloping you. Just as you’re about to completely lose yourself and drag him up the stairs, a loud snapping noise can be heard from your father’s study. You quickly break the kiss, glancing behind you. Without a word you turn around and walk towards the room.

“Where are you going?” Noctis asks, following at your heels.

You don’t respond, merely continuing to quietly tip-toe down the hall. After Ven’s attack you were on edge, just lying in wait of Sephiorth’s next move. Your own step-mother's apparent involvement in this mysteries surrounding this town have only caused your anxiety to grow. As quietly as possible you peek around the corner, staring into your father’s study. You can feel Noctis gently rest a hand on the small of your back, following your gaze as he stands behind you.

Your eyes widen in shock at the sight of your father hunched over his desk, vigorously hacking away at something clutched in his hand. Your chest constricts and your throat tightens as your eyes soak in the sight. At first it had just looked like the wooden leg of a table, but upon closer inspection, you realized just how wrong you were.

Scattered across the room are dozens of sharpened, wooden stakes.


	13. Complications

❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈

_Stakes_.

Your father is making his own, sharpened stakes.

There can only be one reason why he would engage in such an activity, and the prospect terrifies you. You knew that there were Hunters in your family, but not your father. He’s always been the epitome of good-natured and kind, never seeming the type to stalk off into the night and hunt down vampires. What was he doing with stakes, anyway? Had someone been discovered?

“… Are you going to keep pacing?”

You glance over at Noctis, continuing to restlessly walk around your room as you do so. He’s perched on your bed, eyes slightly narrowed as he watches you.

“Sorry. Is it bothering you?” you ask, finally coming to a stop.

The dark-haired male shrugs slightly, leaning back on his hands. An amused smirk is toying at his lips, not sure what to make of your demeanor.

“Not really. I just don’t understand why you’re so upset.”

You release a sigh as you sit down beside him, burying your head in your hands. How can you explain something like this to him, without coming off as crazy or paranoid?

“You’ve been studying vampires lately, haven’t you? With your case?” you remind.

You can feel Noctis’ gaze on you, but you merely stare down at the floorboards beneath your feet.

“… Yeah. Why?”

“Isn’t a wooden stake how you kill a vampire?” you press, peering up at him out of the corner of your eyes.

Noctis slowly sits up straight, his hands clasped together as they rest in his lap.

“Do you think your father’s going after a vampire?” Noctis guesses with a raise of his eyebrows. “Or a group of them, judging by the amount of stakes in his room…”

“I have no idea. If that’s the case, then it means that vampires are real,” you muse, doing your best to sound confused and timid; your crippling fear of your father’s wrath can’t be revealed. “You’ve been right all along, Noctis.”

You turn towards him, reveling in the small smile that’s growing on his face. Well, at least he’s satisfied with this turn of events…

“Maybe I should offer to help him, lend him my research. I’m sure he’ll need my assistance, if monsters like that actually exist,” Noctis responds, starting to stand up.

“No!” you cry, grabbing onto his arm and pulling back down. He shoots you a weird look, and you quickly start to smile. “I don’t want you getting hurt, Noctis. I’m sure they’re dangerous…”

_Well, it’s not entirely a lie…_

He chuckles, resting a hand on the side of your face as he leans down to press his lips against yours in a quick kiss. You barely have time to respond before he pulls back and stands to his feet.

“That’s a sweet sentiment [Name], but I didn’t come to Dover Hills to stay in your bed. I have a case to solve.”

You watch him with wide eyes as he marches out of your room. His boots can be heard clacking down the hall, towards the staircase, down the stairs…

Maybe Noctis has a death wish, but there’s no way you’re going to sit idly by while he embarks on a futile hunt.

It would only lead to the death of everyone you care about.

❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈

Your mind is running a mile a minute as you duck into the forest.

Your father was secretly taking up his hunting roots.

Noctis is joining him.

They’re coming after you, and everyone you care about.

It was like a nightmare turned reality, and you were running out of ways to stop this train as it careens towards a deadly collision.

Just as you make a left turn towards the hideout, you’re suddenly grabbed from the side and pulled behind a tree. You turn around, ready to attack, but merely sigh in relief when you’re greeted by a wide grin and blue eyes slightly shaded by dark hair.

“Don’t scare me like, Zack,” you scold, smacking his arm.

“Sorry. You’re just easily scared,” he tells you, continuing to grin as his arm starts to wind around your waist. “What brings you out here?”

“… Something came up, at home.”

The smile is wiped from his face as he stares down at you.

“What’s wrong?” he asks.

“I’ll tell you when we’re at the hideout, with everyone,” you murmur, waving a hand in the air dismissively. “It’s a long story.”

He slowly nods, his grip tightening as he pulls you closer against him. You glance back with widened eyes when you realize he’s somehow backed you up against the tree, his body dangerously close to yours. When the hell did he do that without you noticing?!

“What are you doing?” you ask anxiously, resting your hands on his shoulders.

“Isn’t it obvious?” he retorts with a small laugh. “We’ve barely talked since…”

He trails off into a twisted smirk, and your cheeks turn the lightest of pink at the memory of that night.

“Don’t tell me you forgot…” he adds, frowning slightly as he pulls his head back a little.

You laugh lightly, quickly shaking your head.

“Are you kidding? There’s no way I could forget.”

The signature smirk is immediately back on his face as his hand trails down to your neck, leaving goosebumps in the wake of his cool fingers.

“Ditto,” he agrees with a small murmur, embedding his fingers in your hair as he lowers his face to yours.

His lips slowly find yours as your arms wrap around his shoulders, pulling him closer.

“I’ve been thinking about you,” he mumbles against your lips, blue eyes fluttering open to look down at you. “… I missed you.”

Your heart starts to thump uncomfortably as your gaze locks with his.

“… I missed you, too, Zack.”

He smiles quickly before leaning down and pressing his lips against yours once more, engulfing you in his arms as all worries of your father and Noctis are pushed out of your mind. All that matters right now is Zack, his strong arms holding you close as his lips gently meld with yours.

❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈

“You’re gonna get me in trouble.”

You glance up at Zack, tearing your gaze from the hideout ahead.

“What do you mean?” you ask with a tilt of your head.

“I don’t think any of those guys would be too happy if they knew what we were just doing,” Zack explains with a small chuckle, running a hand through his dark hair.

“Why?”

He gives you a look.

“You really don’t know why?” he teases, rolling his eyes. “And I thought all of that naiveté would be gone when you were turned to a vampire...”

You narrow your eyes at the male, but he just continues to smile cheerfully as he rests a hand on the small of your back and pushes you through the doorway of the hideout, following right behind you. Axel’s passed out on the bed while Vanitas and Roxas are sitting against the wall, passing a bottle of whiskey between the two of them.

“Some brotherly bonding going on here?” you speak up, and the two brothers glance up at you.

“[Name], what brings you to our humble abode?” Vanitas asks with a falsely-friendly tone.

“Oh geez, are you guys drunk? You were sober when I left!” Zack complains, leaning down to snag the bottle from Roxas’ hands.

“Hey, give that back,” Roxas snaps as he crawls to his feet. “What took you so long anyway? Thought you were running out for some wood.”

Roxas’ blue eyes dart over to you, and you do your best to keep a blank expression. It must have worked, because he turns his gaze to Axel instead.

“Hey,” Roxas mutters, kicking Axel’s foot. “Wake up.”

The redhead wakes up with a snore, his emerald eyes snapping open as he scans the room. With a yawn, he wipes his eyes with his arm as he sits up.

“What brings you here, [Name]? Thought you’d be getting ready for your dad’s party,” he tells you with a small smile.

“Wha- how do you guys know about that?!” you ask with a shocked expression.

“Namine got us invitations,” Vanitas explains with a small shrug, still crouched down on the ground.

Great. Just what you needed, another opportunity for your father to kill them.

“Why do you look so miserable?” Zack asks, nudging your side with his elbow.

With a sigh you walk over to the other side of the room, sitting beside a still-groggy Axel.

“My father… Do any of you know if he used to be a Hunter?” you ask softly.

They all look rather surprised as your question as they exchange confused expressions.

“No idea. Your grandfather was, so it would make sense that your father has some basic knowledge,” Roxas reasons.

“Why?” Axel presses from beside you.

You fiddle with your fingers, your gaze darting everywhere but them. Just how do you phrase something like this anyway? A pale hand reaches out, and you glance over at Axel as his hand gently clasps one of yours. He has a small, reassuring smile, and his touch is surprisingly warm for someone with his… condition.

“Something’s wrong, just tell us,” he presses, his eyebrows ticking up as if telling you it’s okay to say what’s on your mind.

You sigh again, nodding slowly.

“My father… Noctis and I found him sharpening dozens of stakes earlier tonight. I mean they were everywhere, I couldn’t count all of them… Noctis, he’s going to start working with him… I don’t know how, but they must have figured out that you’re here.”

Any sense of amusement that was on the four men’s faces are now gone, completely wiped out and leaving only horror and anxiety.

“Us specifically?” Zack finally asks.

“Well… I don’t know. I doubt it. But he knows there’s vampires here, and with Noctis helping, they’ll find us out soon. He’s obsessed.”

“But if they don’t know it’s us, we’re not in immediate danger. We can easily fight off one measly Hunter and a detective,” Vanitas scoffs, slowly standing to his feet.

You start to frown. The thought of Noctis getting hurt is unacceptable. He might be a little too over-zealous when it comes to his hunch about vampires, but you had grown to care for the stoic male. Though, if the time came… what would you do, if he was squaring off against one of the men standing before you? Or Ven? Just where did your heart lie…?

“Besides, we just need to stay until Sephiroth is defeated. After that, we’re out of here,” Roxas adds.

Ouch.

That hurt, like a stab to the heart.

“You guys are… leaving soon?” you repeat, trying to keep your tone even.

“Can’t stay here forever. People will get suspicious, about the four strange men living in the woods,” Axel explains, shrugging a single shoulder.

“Oh,” you mutter, nodding a little as you stare down at your feet.

Your shoes are damp from the snow littered around the ground of the forest, and usually you would be annoyed, but you can’t bring yourself to care. The thought of being left behind by these four, and Noctis, was more upsetting than you expected it to be. Truthfully, you assumed they would just stay here. They seemed to love your depressingly dark town.

“You can come with us,” Zack offers with a small smile, and you glance up at him.

“Always room for another one of us,” Roxas adds with a nod.

“I… I can’t leave my family, or Ven,” you argue, shaking your head.

“He should probably come with us, too. It’s not safe to stay in a town for too long. The no-aging thing really freaks people out,” Vanitas replies with a smirk.

You can hear what they’re saying, but it fails to really sink in. They’re leaving. Ven would be coming with them. Noctis will be going back to Richmond, to his job. What would you do? Leave with them, thus abandoning your father and brother? It would be the best option, since your father appears to have taken up Hunting… But could you do something so callous?

“I’m hungry. I’m going to go find someone,” you mutter, pushing yourself off of the bed and onto your feet.

“I’ll go too, haven’t fed yet today,” Axel adds, following behind you as you exit the hideout without a word.

Well… at least you won’t be alone.

❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈

“You’re getting quite good at manipulation, I have to say,” Axel tells you as he rests the unconscious girl against a tree.

Her red blood is dripping from her neck and onto the white snow below, and you study her with a small frown. These girls are stupid enough to travel through the forest alone at night, but you still feel a little guilty each time you attack one, even when you compel them to forget of your abuse.

“I learned from Roxas,” you tell the redhead as he stands up straight.

He wipes his blood-covered mouth with his black handkerchief, shoving it in his pocket as he walks towards you.

“Well, he is the best at manipulation,” Axel agrees with a slight chuckle.

You smile in response, though you feel anything but amusement. At least the headache is gone and the hunger in your stomach has been subsided, but you’re still feeling less than yourself.

“What’s wrong?” Axel asks, reaching a hand out to brush your bangs out of your face.

Subconsciously, you lean into his touch as you release a sigh.

“Nothing. It’s just… the idea of you guys leaving is really hitting me hard,” you admit with a sheepish grin.

He smirks, tilting his head slightly.

“So you’re considering coming with us?” he guesses excitedly.

Yes.

“I don’t know,” you mumble, shaking your head. “My family-“

“Will be dead,” he interrupts, taking another step closer to you. “We’ve all lost our family, except Roxas and Vanitas. It just kind of goes with the territory of immortality.”

“That’s horrible.”

“It’s true,” he points out with a laugh, dropping his hand from your face and shoving it into his pockets. “Attachments become meaningless with anyone who’s not a vampire.”

“… So is that why you’re all of a sudden interested in me? Because I’m a vampire now?” you ask him, raising your eyebrows ever so slightly.

An amused smirk grows on his face.

“Who says I’m interested in you?” he retorts slyly.

Your eyes widen, but you quickly relax into a shrug as you brush past him.

“Nevermind, guess I was wrong,” you mutter softly, hiding your embarrassment as you glance ahead.

A gloved hand grabs your arm, pulling you back into a strong chest. You move your head so you’re looking back at Axel, who’s continuing to smirk as he studies you.

“… So maybe you’re growing on me a little bit,” he muses, one hand wrapping around your stomach as his other hand cups your cheek.

You open your mouth to respond but you’re swiftly cut off as he leans down, crashing his lips against yours. You turn in his arm, your hands winding through his hair as he holds you against him, the kiss deepening as you lightly tug on his soft locks.

Even with the snow falling on your connected figures, your body is consumed in white-hot flames.


	14. Checkmate

❃ ❃ ❃ ❃ ❃

"What are you going to do?"

You tear your eyes away from your reflection in the mirror hanging on your closet, glancing over your shoulder at the pale blond hovering in your windowsill. His knees are crouched, his black coat trailing on the sill beside his booted feet.

“About what?” you reply softly, turning around to fully face him.

Roxas smirks a bit as he hops down onto his feet, marching towards you. He’s moving with a purpose, the familiar sense of darkness clouding his aura.

“Tonight. Your father, us, Caelum.”

Sighing, your shoulders raise in a languid shrug, the sleeves of your black dress shifting a bit as you move.

“Play it by ear, I suppose. Pray that nothing happens.”

“Pray to whom?” Roxas muses with a chuckle. “We have no one to pray to, [Name]. Only ourselves.”

“The curse of immortality,” you agree, rolling your eyes a bit at his pessimism.

The blond continues to smile sadly as he grabs your hand in his, pressing something cool and firm into your palm. You glance down, eyes widening when you realize he’s placed a pistol into your hand.

“What’s this?” you ask quietly.

“For you… just in case.”

You want to throw it out the window, crush it under your feet, reject the weapon and what it represents… but instead your fingers curl around the silver barrel, accepting his gift.

“Thank you,” you tell him, glancing up at the male.

He gives you a sideways smirk before gently resting a hand on the back of your head, pulling you towards him as he brings his lips down to yours. The sweet kiss is short, tender, as if he’s afraid of hurting you. It’s different that the unemotional façade he tends to hide behind.

“One more thing,” he murmurs as he releases you, grinning at your disappointed frown.

“What?” you ask with a sigh.

He looks down at your black gown, eyebrows raised as he studies you.

“Don’t wear black.”

Roxas turns on his heel, walking across the room towards your window. You follow in a daze, reaching out and grabbing his wrist just as he’s about to jump.

“Why, does this dress look bad?” you press as he glances back at you.

“No. I’d just like to see you happy. Bright. Alive. You deserve it, after the past month.”

Roxas leans down to peck your lips before disappearing in a blur, leaving you cold and alone with just your gun for company.

… Well, at least Xion will be happy.

❃ ❃ ❃ ❃ ❃

The smell of salted meats, melted cheese, fresh-baked cookies and pastries, and flowing champagne fill the air as you stand in the foyer of your house, arm linked through your older brother’s as you greet guests. The typical pleasantries are exchanged (“How are you?” “You look so lovely!” “Where is your dashing fiancé?”) as the villagers trickle in. Everyone is dressed in their best, including you.

A gold dress is now draped over your body, the corset around your waist giving you a perfect set of curves. White gloves cover your forearms, successfully hiding your dark blue ring from any prying eyes.

Almost more palpable that the smell of the delicious food is the fake mood of all attendees. Everyone is smiling, laughing, hugging, kissing… Completely carefree and unaware of the evils surrounding them. Vampires, witches, Hunters… Who knows what else is lurking in the forest.

“Darling,” Kadaj murmurs as he enters your view. He places a quick kiss on your lips as his hand grabs your arm. It’s loose enough to not be painful, but tight enough to hold your attention. “I’m going to grab a drink.”

“Alright, bye,” you quickly agree, waving lazily as he walks away with a roll of his eyes.

Many fiancés in the history of the world have hated each other, but the two of you had to be in the running for the most-tense-engagement ever. Hayner starts to chuckle beside you, and you glance up at him.

“What’s so funny?” you ask.

“God, you really do hate him,” he notes with a quiet laugh.

You shrug your shoulder, a small smile creeping up onto your face when you spot Noctis on the other side of the room, chatting boredly with some giggling girl.

“Oh yes, very much so. I’ll be back,” you tell Hayner, patting his arm as you brush past him.

It’s almost as if Noctis is the magnet and you’re a piece of metal as you practically float towards the male, your fluttering excitedly as you clutch onto his arm. He peers down at you, face lighting up when he realizes it’s you grabbing him so shamelessly.

“[Name],” he greets softly, leaning down to kiss the top of your head.

You beam up at him before turning your attention to the glowering girl.

“ _I think you should go get a drink_ ,” you tell her, your pupils widening as you hold her gaze.

She slowly nods, not bothering to even say goodbye as she walks like a zombie to the bar. You smile, satisfied with your efforts as you glance back up at the dark-haired detective.

“You look beautiful tonight,” he tells you in a near-whisper, so eager eavesdroppers aren’t able to overhear.

You laugh lightly, resting your head on his chest for a second. He’s wearing a black tux with a perfectly knotted bow tie, and the smell of booze mingling with his natural scent is sending your senses on overdrive.

“Thank you, Mr. Caelum,” you finally reply, pulling back a bit to study him. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

Gosh, he really is good looking. Sometimes it’s easy to over-look him with the ever-dashing vampires continually seducing you… But the man has traditional good looks, only escalated by his gentlemanly airs.

“Where are you from, Noctis? I know so little about you,” you complain as you grab a flute of champagne from a passing waiter.

Noctis follows suit, taking a sip as his pensive eyes study you.

“Originally? Boston. I moved to Richmond when the Chief of Police offered me a job. I haven’t had a home in years, not since my parents passed.”

You never knew his parents were gone. How did you not know?! Some friend you are…

“I’m so sorry, Noctis. I had no idea,” you murmur, awkwardly fiddling with the flute in your hands.

“It’s a natural part of life, Miss Webster.”

Always a gentleman, no matter the circumstance.

“Excuse me,” a smooth voice interrupts, and you glance over your shoulder to see Ven smiling down at you. “May I borrow her, Mr. Caelum?”

Noctis nods, though he has a small frown on his face, and Ven immediately grabs your wrist as he pulls you away. His gloved fingers slip through yours, black mingling flawlessly with your white-gloved fingers. You place your empty flute on a nearby table, laughing as Ven spins you in a circle before catching you in his arms. His hand continues to hold onto yours as his free arm wraps around your waist, holding you close as the two of you sway to the music. Other couples surround you, but none of them matter. All you see is the attractive blond before you, his deep blue eyes practically twinkling as he stares down at you.

“Your bow-tie’s adorable,” you tell him as you place your hand on his shoulder.

He rolls his eyes as you start to smirk.

“I could say the same about you, but ‘adorable’ doesn’t even begin to describe it. You look,” he trails off as he leans down to kiss your cheek, “stunning.”

Your heart races uncomfortably, gaze locked with the blond. It was taking everything in you to not caress his cheek, kiss him, fall into his arms like you had so many times before… Though his touch was cooler now than it had been when he was alive, there was no escaping the warmth that runs through your veins when you’re in his presence.

“So do you,” you finally reply softly, resting your head on his chest with a sigh as you glance at the party-goers.

You’re sure you were getting some strange looks, the engaged Webster girl dancing with another man, but it was so unimportant right now. Nothing mattered. Life was…

Your thoughts are interrupted when your eyes land on two silver-haired figures standing in the corner, cloaked in the shadows. The look of unimaginable horror and shock on their faces is almost too extreme to be believed, and it sends a terrified chill up your spine.

They’re watching Ven as if they’ve seen a ghost.

You pull back slightly, tearing your gaze from your fiancé and his father and you look up at Ven. The smile on his face fades when he notices your obvious fear.

“What? What’s wrong?” he asks, releasing your hand as he reaches out to cup your face.

Your eyes dart back over to Kadaj and Sephiroth, and Ven slowly follows your gaze. His eyes narrow as his touch softens, his hands sliding down your cheeks and falling to your shoulders.

“… They didn’t know you’re alive,” you realize, shaking your head as you glance down at the floor.

Damn it. Why didn’t you see this coming? Of course they’d be shocked to see Ven! Sephiroth killed him, for crying out loud! Oh you were so stupid, so naïve…

“Let them stare,” Ven mutters, his fingers gently grabbing your chin as he turns your face towards his. “There’s nothing they can do to me anymore.”

Without a word his face lowers, his lips capturing yours in a kiss. Anger, frustration, fear, despair, passion, love… All of it courses through you as you pull him closer, throwing all doubt aside as you display your feelings to the world. After much too short of a time you break the kiss, glancing back towards the corner of the room; it’s empty.

“Think they got the hint?” Ven whispers in your ear, and you laugh lightly before a flash of gold draws your attention.

Over Ven’s shoulder and against the wall Vanitas is standing, sipping from his champagne flute. Though you can’t see his mouth, his eyes are focused directly on you, narrowed. He drops his hand to his side, nodding his head a bit to silently call you over.

“I’ll be right back,” you tell Ven, eyes locked on Vanitas as you slide free of his grasp and walk towards the dark-haired male watching you with a tiny smirk.

“What’s wrong?” you ask as you reach Vanitas, glancing around nervously.

He takes another sip of his champagne, looking over your shoulder as he places a hand on the small of your back.

“Don’t looks so scared,” he scoffs, his face staying blank as his gaze darts down to you. His golden eyes are as expressionless as ever. “You’re drawing attention.”

You look around the room, realizing with a frown that a fair amount of people are, in fact, staring directly at you with curious expression.

“Okay,” you reply, your face breaking out into a smile as you step closer to him. “Now can you tell me what’s wrong?”

He chuckles lightly, watching your suddenly cheerful face with amusement.

“Better. I think something’s wrong.” Another sip of champagne, another glance around the room with a completely false smile. “There’s a surge of dark energy encompassing your house. The witch is here, planning an attack.”

“Really?!” you exclaim, fighting a panicked look from growing on your face. “How do you know?”

The smirk stays on his face as he leans down closer to you, his lips pressed against the top of your head.

“When you’ve been around as long as I have, you tend to know these things.”

With a sigh you rest your head on his shoulder, stealing a sip of his champagne as the two of you scan the packed crowd of guests.

Tonight.

Of course they would pick Christmas Eve to make their move.

Even with the golden-eyed man standing beside you, an arm protectively wrapped around your waist, it was impossible to shake the feeling that someone was watching you.

Someone waiting to make a move.

Someone dangerous.

❃ ❃ ❃ ❃ ❃

Hayner stumbles down the last of the stairs on the front porch of your house with a drunken laugh, shaking his head in an attempt to correct his fuzzy vision. Too many drinks and not enough food had been consumed, and all he wanted to do was catch some fresh air. The party was stuffy, his date was obnoxiously sober, and no one seemed to be catching his interest. With a sigh he snuggles into his coat, snow falling around him as he starts to walk towards the dark forest ahead.

If he had been sober, he would have felt someone’s eyes on him.

If he would have felt someone’s eyes on him, he would have been more alert and felt the sudden rush of cool air behind him.

If he had felt the rush of air behind him, he would have turned around.

If he had turned around, he would have seen a figure in black rushing towards him.

But, he didn’t.

A muffled cry escapes his mouth as something attaches to his neck, his body completely drained of blood in mere seconds. He’s tossed to the ground in a heap, eyes wide and lifeless.

The blood of an innocent is spilt.

The pieces are set.

_Checkmate_.


	15. The Pieces Fall Into Place

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Only 2 more left~♥

❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥

The night’s sky in Dover Hills is dark, darker than usual. The chatter of happy party-goers floats into the eerily quiet sky outside, a startling contrast. It’s almost as if there are two different worlds, the inhabitants of the house who are brimming with life, and the dead silence outside where death and destruction reigns.

Lifeless green eyes are focused towards the forest in the distance. Blood is pouring from two small wounds on the young man’s neck, soaking his otherwise pristine tuxedo. Two figures are standing over the male’s body, staring down with unemotional gazes.

“We should have seen this coming,” Roxas mutters with a shake of his head.

“We did. Just… not on Christmas Eve,” Vanitas points out.

The younger blond sighs, bending down as he grabs Hayner’s arms.

“Help me move him. If someone sees his body… we’ll lose our opportunity.”

Vanitas nods in agreement, striding forward and grabbing your older brother by the legs.

“This might be our most morbid act yet,” Roxas muses as they haul his body behind a small shed in your backyard, tucked away near a tall lemon tree.

“All families bond in different ways, brother,” Vanitas jokes with a small smirk.

Roxas releases a small laugh as they gently set Hayner down on the ground, his back resting against the side of the shed. His head has fallen to the side, hanging limply.

“[Name]’s the only Webster child left. We need to watch her carefully,” Roxas speaks up, his gaze locked on Hayner’s body.

A small laugh rings out behind the two brothers, and they both glance over their shoulders to spot a tall, silver-haired man behind them.

“Good luck getting past me,” Sephiroth mocks with a tilt of his head, an absolutely wicked grin on his face. “I’m afraid our feud will end… tonight.”

❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥

Vanitas and Roxas disappeared a long time ago from the party.

Hayner’s been gone for an even longer amount of time. Probably hiding outside and throwing up from the excess of champagne and scotch.

You barely noticed, however, transfixed on the grinning redhead before you, his hand clasping yours as he spins you around the small dance floor. Axel’s arm wraps tighter around your waist, holding you close as he nuzzles his chin against the top of your head.

“Y’know… I feel human right now.”

You glance up at the male, eyes slightly widened by his words.

“You… do?” you ask slowly.

He nods, smiling as he leans down to peck your forehead.

“Kind of, yeah. It’s not very often the undead get to dance with such a beautiful woman.”

“Stop,” you complain, burying your reddening face in his shoulder. “You’re embarrassing me.”

You can hear him chuckle lightly as his arm gently strokes your back, his fingers leaving a hot trail in their wake.

“I’m not going to apologize, because it’s true.”

You pull back slightly to stare up at him, rolling your eyes lightly as he smirks down at you. Your gaze is drawn away, towards the foyer of your house. A certain dark-haired male is walking inside, chatting idly with your father.

“Hey, I’ll be back,” you tell Axel, gently patting his cheek as you pull free from his grasp, shooting him a smile before walking through the crowd.

Zack’s blue eyes quickly dart towards your approaching figure, a tiny smirk on his face as he holds an arm out. Your body fits perfectly next to his as he draws you in to a loose hug, resting his lips on your cheek in a lazy kiss.

“Good evening,” he murmurs, pulling back slightly as you do the same.

A smile immediately grows on your face as you gently rest your hands on his arm. The man certainly wore the hell out of a tux, you had to admit. You could feel all female eyes on the two of you with jealous gazes, but their envy only added to your pleasure.

“I’ll, uh… Leave you two alone,” your father muses, coughing awkwardly as he hurries away.

“No champagne?” you inquire once your father’s out of earshot.

“Not yet, your father greeted me with this,” Zack tells you with a shrug, raising the silver mug to his lips.

You frown slightly, watching your father as he grabs a flute of champagne. Zack's sudden gasp from beside you breaks the silence, and you quickly glance up at the male. The skin around his eyes is wrinkling as his eyes darken, and his gaze darts over to you with panic.

“Blood,” he mutters, a hand hiding his mouth as the cup falls to the ground. Red liquid spills everywhere, splashing up on your shoes and the ends of your dress. “It’s blood.”

Your heart skips at least one beat as you glance back at your father. He’s watching the two of you with a completely blank expression, like a lion stalking their prey.

“What can I do to help?” you ask quietly, turning back to Zack.

“I just need to calm down. God that smell,” he complains, clenching his eyes shut as his hand stays clamped over his mouth.

He was right, the scent wafting from the spilled blood is delicious. If you weren’t so panicked, you would probably be in the same position as Zack.

“Let’s get you outside,” you suggest, your hands rubbing up and down his arms.

“Can’t,” he argues. “It’ll just draw attention.”

You sigh, trying to look as calm as possible as you glance around. Thankfully, no one seems to be watching besides your father. Only one solution seems to be viable, no matter how ridiculous it seemed.

“Promise not to bite me?” you ask.

His eyes snap open, darkened orbs narrowing at you.

“Depends, just what are you planning on doing?” he retorts.

You roll your eyes before pulling on the jacket of his tuxedo with one hand so that he leans down towards you. Your other hand grabs his, tearing it from his mouth before your lips cover his. His surprise is evident, but he quickly relaxes, an arm wrapping around your waist as he pulls you against him and deepens the surprisingly passionate kiss.

Meanwhile on the other side of the room, your father watches the scene unfold before him with a sense of betrayal, and hate.

❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥

“It really is pathetic,” Sephiroth muses, taking a step towards the glowering brothers before him, “that the two of you think you stand a chance against me.”

“You’re just an ancient creature, warped by centuries of misery,” Roxas snaps, fists clenched lightly.

“I could say the same to you,” the silver-haired male retorts with a deranged smirk. “All the repressed hatred for your brother, envy towards the innocence of humanity… You’re just as twisted as the rest of us.”

“God, shut up,” Vanitas complains with a groan. “Hasn’t this gotten boring for you yet? The hundreds of years playing this futile game of cat-and-mouse?”

“Indeed it has,” Sephiroth agrees with a nod. “That’s why it’s going to end. Tonight.”

He snaps his fingers, and Roxas and Vanitas collapse to their knees, faces contorted in pain. It’s as if their organs are being clawed from the inside, a horrible fire burning in their chests.

“Your kidneys are failing,” a woman’s voice calls out from the darkness. “Along with your lungs. That burning feeling? Your heart is being charred, slowly, from the inside-out.”

Leblanc steps out from the shadows, coming to a stop beside the smirking silver-haired male. She’s watching the brothers with satisfaction, her eyes slightly narrowed in concentration.

“Ho-How?” Vanitas croaks out, a hand clutching uselessly at his chest.

“You’ve never heard of my lovely friend here? The oldest witch in America?” Sephiroth explains with a gesture towards the smiling blonde. “She has become a very resourceful ally, it is so much easier killing those who get in my way through spells.”

“St…op,” Roxas pleads, tears forming in his sparkling blue eyes.

Death is surely coming.

Then they will reanimate.

Then they will die again.

“You know who’s going to be the most fun to kill?” Sephiroth asks the two, kneeling down before them. “That idiotic little girl you’ve been following around. We saved the best for last.” His face leans between the two men’s, a sadistic smirk growing. “I bet she’s a screamer, don’t you?”

Sephiroth laughs as Roxas weakly reaches an arm out in feeble attempt to grab his neck, missing the man completely.

“Still some life in you yet, hm? Leblanc,” he glances back at your step-mother. “Give them a reprieve.”

The pain subsides and Vanitas and Roxas breathe in cool gasps of air, falling to the ground as their destabilized limbs collapse. Pain is racking their bodies, worse than anything they’ve ever experienced. As much as they want to jump up, stake the smirking man before them… they can’t.

“Yes, she’s become a real thorn in my side, that girl. The one person standing between me, and her father’s substantial fortune. The last in the line of the Webster Hunters. And, to top it all off, the one person I can use to hurt you pathetic little boys.”

Roxas and Vanitas’ eyes widen in horror, but with a snap of Leblanc’s fingers their necks snap to the side. They fall to the snowy ground below, lifeless eyes staring at the forest in the distance.

❥ ❥ ❥ ❥ ❥

A shiver runs up your spine suddenly, as if a ghost just passed through your body. Your house is warm, too warm actually, and yet you feel cold and empty. You glance around the room, curious to see if anyone else seems to feel the same.

Zack and Axel are laughing loudly, obviously intoxicated.

Ven is chatting with Namine by the snack table.

Noctis is sitting in the corner, scribbling something down in his small notebook (of course).

Huh. Nothing out of the ordinary here. Maybe it’s just you coming out of your drunken state, it had been at least an hour since your last drink… Ready to fix this problem you hurry towards the bar, only to find yourself grabbed by the arm and pulled into the kitchen. A gloved hand is pressed over your mouth, and you glance up in fear to see your fiancé glaring down at you.

“Don’t scream, or I’ll kill you right here.”

You slowly nod in understanding, heart racing as he kicks open the door leading to your backyard and pulls you outside, into the dark and snowy night.

For the first time in years, not a cloud is in the sky.

The moon is watching you closely, illuminating the figures scattered about.

A silver-haired male and a blonde woman towering over two brothers, their lifeless bodies intertwined.

A girl trapped in the arms of her homicidal fiancé, desperately searching for an escape.

An innocent brother, his deceased body hidden behind the shed.

And a frantic father and a young detective, trudging through the snow with wooden stakes clasped in their hands as they run to their certain deaths.


	16. Tragedy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second to last chapter~♥ Noctis-centric

❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈

It’s almost impossible to comprehend just how quickly the tables can turn, leaving previously unsuspecting and carefree individuals trapped between a rock and a hard place, nothing but their own destruction lying ahead of them.

Such a fate has befallen four such people.

One lost the battle, his body slumped in the snow and hidden behind a shed.

Two lost the battle, but not the war. Their quickly cooling bodies are collapsed in the snow, just waiting to reanimate back with life.

And one is struggling for a chance, a tiny sliver of hope, as she fights against her attacker, her own fiancé.

Kadaj drags you through the snow, your strength nothing compared to his. His arms are practically crushing your chest as he all but carries you along beside him. Your breath is coming out in haggard pants, gasping for air as your lungs are tightly squeezed by your ribcage.

“You’re wasting what little strength you have,” you fiancé whispers in your ear, brushing aside strands of your hair. “Just a few more minutes, dear, and you can join your beloved brother in death.”

Your lungs fill with delicious air as the iron grip on your body is suddenly released, his arms slowly sliding down your side. You barely notice, however; it feels like your heart has been hit with a sledgehammer.

“Hayner…?” you murmur, turning around to face Kadaj with widened eyes.

“He didn’t even see it coming.”

Slowly, you start to shake your head as a hand rests on your chest. Your heart is racing and your throat is burning uncomfortably. No. No, no, no. There’s absolutely no way your brother, the only family member to not betray you, is gone.

“Don’t believe me? See for yourself.”

Kadaj reaches a hand out, grabbing you around the neck. You’re tossed forward with the strength of ten men, colliding with the wall of the wooden shed a few feet away. You fall to the snow with a pained groan, grabbing your now-sore head as you sit up on your knees. Your eyes immediately begin to pulsate, and your mouth trembles.

“What…” you murmur, picking up your hands.

Bright red blood is dripping from the tips of your white gloves, and your fingers are completely drenched. The hunger grows in your stomach as you glance at the ground; the snow is stained with blood. You follow the puddle with your gaze, a sob escaping your mouth as your eyes land on a figure slumped against the shed, hidden in the shadows.

“No,” you whisper as you crawl forward, ignoring the painful feeling in your eyes and your mouth as you reach out for the figure.

Gently, you rest a hand out to outline his jaw, and the man’s head falls forward at the action. You start to gag, the smell of blood filling your nostrils as your eyes land on your brother’s lifeless face. His eyes are wide open, completely unresponsive.

“I wasn’t lying,” Kadaj speaks up from behind you as you sit before your brother. “It was a necessary sacrifice. ‘As the last in a Hunter’s bloodline falls, true power will be at your call’,” he recites.

Your head is dropped as you fight back tears, Kadaj’s words falling on deaf ears.

“I am… so sorry,” you murmur, resting your head on your brother’s chest, desperately listening for a pulse.

You’re greeted by nothing but silence.

A lone tear falls on his hand, before you’re suddenly torn away from Hayner as your hair is roughly grabbed. You reach out for him as you’re dragged to your feet, your head forced backwards as your fiancé glares down at you. A knife is raised to your neck, but his narrowed eyes quickly widen.

“Your eyes!” he exclaims, the grip on your hair loosening as the knife drops to his side.

The skin is wrinkled, your eyes dark.

“Surprise,” you growl before throwing him off of you.

His guard is down due to the shock at your appearance, and he stumbles backwards a bit. Kadaj is watching with disbelief as you turn to face him. Your eyes are narrowed in frenzied anger as your hand reaches into a pocket of your dress, where you had hidden Roxas’ gun. Bullets won’t kill him, but they’ll hurt like hell.

“You bastards killed my brother!” you yell, your eyes flashing red as you charge forward.

Your hands grab his neck, forcing his face to turn away away are your fangs dig into his exposed skin. He cries out in pain, but your attack is cut short as a bullet passes through your knee. Kadaj is released with a gasp, your face turning back to normal as you fall to the ground. Your hands fly up to your knee, attempting to stem the flow of blood. Why does it hurt so bad?!

You glance over your shoulder, painful realization hitting you like a ton of bricks when you see your father standing behind you, his gun pointed directly at your huddled figure. Kadaj has taken a step to the side, leaving you alone, hurting, and confused.

“F-Father?” you stammer, wiping your mouth on your shoulder to clean yourself of your fiancé’s blood.

“My daughter… You’re the vampire that’s been plaguing this town?” your father asks, a pang of hurt in his voice.

“I confronted her, Mr. Webster. Then she attacked me,” Kadaj speaks up, shooting you a smirk as he walks towards your father.

One of his hands is pressed over his neck, blood mingling with his slender and pale fingers. You glare at him before standing up. Immediately you fall to the ground again, grimacing. Why weren’t you healing…?

“Wooden bullets,” your father explains, opening the cylinder of his gun. He reaches into the pocket of his vest, pulling out a brown bullet before tucking it away in the gun. It rotates with a whirring sound before snapping shut. “You can’t heal.”

“Why are you doing this?” you ask in a low whisper, doing your best to ignore the pain.

“… Because you’re a monster.”

Your heart drops into your stomach as you glance towards the forest, blinking away tears. While he might just be right… it felt like a stab to the heart to hear him say it.

“She’s nothing compared to me.”

Your eyes widen at the sound of Kadaj’s voice before a loud snapping noise echoes through the silence. Your head darts up, swallowing an uncomfortable lump in your throat as you watch your father fall to the ground, his neck broken. It’s like watching him collapse in slow motion, his knees first touching down on the ground before his body follows. The snow softens his fall, and, thankfully for you, completely hides his face.

“No!” you scream, your voice cracking as you watch the scene unfold helplessly.

Your eyes are drawn to Kadaj as he leans down, prying your father’s gun from his hand. Though your entire body is shaking in pain, anger, and sorrow, you’re somehow able to keep yourself levelheaded. A perk of being undead.

“Wooden bullets… Genius. The Webster’s really are the best,” Kadaj muses, smirking as he takes a step towards you. The gun is quickly leveled at your chest. “Any last words, my love?”

Your lips curl up in a deranged smirk, your fingers fiddling with Roxas’ gun grasped in your hand. It wouldn’t kill him, but if this is where your life ends, you might as well get one shot in.

“Burn in hell.”

You draw the gun from your dress, point it up at his chest, and pull the trigger in the blink of an eye. The bullet whizzes through his body, piercing his heart. Kadaj cries out, falling backwards as his blood sprays across the snow. He lands on the ground with a thump, his arms and legs sprawled out haphazardly.

“Bastard,” you mutter, crawling over to him.

Who knows when he’ll reanimate, you had to move fast. Your breath catches in your throat as you edge past your father, but now is not the time to grieve. If you survive the night you’ll memorialize your father and brother in the best way you know how.

For none of the guys to have heard the fight outside, they must be in even worst trouble than you. You quickly grab your father’s gun from Kadaj’s hand, though you find your eyes widening when you stare at the wound on his chest.

The bullet lodged in his chest cavity isn’t silver… it’s brown.

Quickly you pull out Roxas’ gun, all but ripping open the cylinder. Three carved wooden bullets are sitting there, ready to be fired.

You start to laugh lightly despite the situation, breathing a sigh of relief.

The bullets are wooden; Kadaj is dead.

You really owed Roxas for this one.

❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈

“Hey guys, how are you – whoa,” Ven interrupts himself, frowning as Zack and Axel approach him, grabbing him by the arms. They drag him into the kitchen, leading him inside the room as Axel swiftly shuts the door behind them. “… What’s wrong?”

The redhead and raven-haired males cross their arms over their chests, eyes narrowed.

“You tell us. Where’s [Name]?” Zack asks.

“Uh… I don’t know,” Ven replies, glancing between the taller men. “Why, is she missing or something?”

“Vanitas and Roxas have been gone for over an hour, along with Hayner. There’s no sign of the silver-haired freaks, or [Name]. Her step-mother’s gone, too,” Axel explains with a sigh.

“Did you try looking outside?” Ven suggests.

“Gee, why didn’t we think of that?” Zack retorts dryly, rolling his eyes.

“We’ve been walking around the grounds for the past hour. There’s no sign of anyone, it’s like they just disappeared…” Axel mutters, glancing out the window in the kitchen.

Zack and Ven follow suit. All that can be seen is the silhouette of the dark forest in the distance, and snow lightly falling on the ground. The three of them simultaneously take anxious gulps of their scotch.

❈ ❈ ❈ ❈ ❈

It’s absolutely freezing outside, and the feeling of fresh snow falling on Noctis’ face is doing little to help. His face is almost burning with cold, each snowflake feeling like an icy blade upon his skin. But he keeps walking, desperate for an answer, desperate to end this nearly two month long investigation… He’s so close, his fingers are almost touching the truth.

His grasp on the wooden stake in his hand tightens as he peers around the corner of your house. Your step-mother and future father-in-law are huddled together, chatting quietly. With a tilt of his head Noctis starts to walk towards them, tucking the stake away in the interior pocket of his jacket. Maybe they’ve seen something out of the ordinary tonight.

Noctis is about to call out to them, but just as his hand is rising in the air to wave, he comes to an abrupt stop. Lying in the snow are two figures, both male, one with dark hair and the other blond. Though they’re face-down, Noctis can just make out a golden eye before he swallows a lump in his throat. His gaze darts up to Sephiroth and Leblanc, heart racing when he realizes they’re staring directly at him.

“My my, what have we here?” Sephiroth muses with a smirk. “A lone detective, wandering through the snow.”

“What’s going on here?” Noctis asks, nodding down to the two bodies.

“Don’t worry, they’re not dead… Unfortunately.”

“Although, it does appear we have another intruder,” Leblanc adds with a small smile.

Noctis’ eyes narrow, though he can soon hear the crunching of snow as someone walks towards them. A figure suddenly appears, slowly moving from the field of your backyard. They’re walking with a pronounced limp, though their body is shrouded in the shadows of the dark clouds above. They walk past Leblanc and Sephiroth as if they’re invisible, limping towards the house. Finally, the faint light of the moon illuminates them, and Noctis’ heart skips a beat when he realizes it’s you. Blood is pouring from your leg, your golden dress now scarlet from the knee-down, and your body is as pale as a corpse. Even your white gloves are stained with blood.

“[Name]?” he calls out, momentarily forgetting about everything in the world besides you.

You glance up, sighing in relief when you spot him. Your eyes are red and swollen from crying, and you look on the verge of death.

“N-Noctis,” you stammer as you limp towards him, and he quickly rushes forwards.

The man’s arms wrap around your waist, and you immediately collapse, your hands clinging onto his shoulders. Noctis glances behind you, wondering why your step-mother doesn’t seem to be showing any concern; when his eyes land on Leblanc, she raises a finger to her lips in a shh-ing motion. He focuses back on you, slowly realizing that you can’t see the four figures.

… Witchcraft?

“What happened?” he asks softly, glancing down at your leg.

Blood is dripping onto the snow beneath your feet, and your grip on his shoulders is weak, like a child’s. The trail of blood in your path through the snow tells him you’ve lost a lot of blood, almost more than is humanly possible.

“Fath… Someone shot me,” you grumble, quickly correcting yourself.

Noctis’ eyes narrow slightly at your revision, but his arms subconsciously wrap tighter around you, holding you close against him. He glances over at Leblanc and Sephiroth, who are watching in silence.

“Why? Are you okay?” he finally presses, turning his attention back down to you.

He might be confused beyond belief at the turn of events this evening, but he could at the very least protect you.

“Y-Yeah, but the bullet’s lodged in my knee.”

Your face is contorted into a pained grimace, chest heaving. The wood was almost like poison to you, and your body is slowly starting to shut down. You needed to find Vanitas, Roxas, Axel, or Zack soon.

“Who shot you?”

You look up at Noctis. Your vision is starting to blur slightly, but you can still make out his concerned face. So handsome…

“I… don’t know,” you lie, “but… Kadaj killed my father.”

Your voice comes out in a low croak as you rest your head on his chest, sighing loudly as the horrible memories come pouring back. You can feel the male tense as he shrugs a shoulder, forcing you to lift your head and look up at him again.

“… So, I killed Kadaj,” you finish with a small, satisfied smirk.

“WHAT?!”

The voice tears through the air, causing your eardrums to pound uncomfortably from the volume. You glance around, practically doing a double-take when you realize Sephiroth and Leblanc are suddenly standing over your shoulder a few feet away. How long have they been there?!

“Get the hell away from us,” you growl, using what’s left of your strength to push Noctis aside as you turn around.

It hurts horribly to stand, but you grit your teeth through the pain. Adrenaline is pumping through your body, causing you to teem with power. Your eyes are slowly drawn to a smudge of black mixed with the white snow, and you feel your confidence take a nose-dive when you recognize two unmistakable figures collapsed in the snow.

“R-Roxas?” you ask softly, eyes locked on their frozen bodies. “… Vanitas?”

“Snapped necks. They’ll be back soon,” Sephiroth explains gruffly.

“What about Axel? Zack? … Ven?” you press, feeling Noctis’ gaze on you.

The poor guy must be so confused.

“Does it matter?” he counters as he slides a pistol out from the holster attached to his black pants. “You won’t be around to find out.”

Noctis starts to walk forward ahead of you, but you hold an arm out to block his path. You can barely feel the pain anymore; all focus is on your blind rage.

“You know what? You win. Just shoot me! It’s what you want, isn’t it? You’ve already killed my entire family, might as well finish the job, Zedler!” you yell, raising your arms in the air as if you’re a sacrifice just waiting to be slaughtered.

“These aren’t wooden bullets,” Sephiroth scoffs with a laugh, raising his arm.

The gun is leveled towards your neck, and your eyes narrow. So he was going to draw this out… Figures. There’s no way you’d be fortunate enough to catch a lucky break twice in one night. You can feel Noctis continuing to watch you with a wary gaze, but he doesn’t move; he’s not about to leave you alone. Besides, it’s not his fight; now, it’s the last Zedler versus the last Webster. Your fingers dance across the handle of your gun as your hand brushes against your dress, ready to pull the trigger. You had failed Ven, your brother, your father… You weren’t able to fail Noctis, too.

Sephiroth’s lips curl up into a twisted smirk as he suddenly moves his arm, pointing his gun at Noctis and pulling the trigger.

You can only watch in horror as the male beside you is thrown backwards from the impact, landing in the soft snow. Quickly you turn to him and fall to the ground, fighting through the pain in your wounded knee as you kneel next to him. Blood is pouring out of his chest, drenching his white shirt as he gasps for breath. His eyes are locked with yours, widened and terrified. With a sense of panic you bring the underside of your wrist to your mouth, tearing at your skin; it hurts, but you’re able to break through the skin. Resting a hand on his cheek, you gently press your bleeding wrist to his lips. He coughs lightly, but you keep your wrist attached to his mouth, feeling your blood flow freely. Roxas had told you that vampire blood heals humans… so why not give it a shot.

“Noctis,” you murmur, your uninjured hand moving up to his hair.

You brush his dark locks from his eyes as you remove your wrist, revealing his blood-stained lips. He’s so pale, and struggling for air. Weakly, his hand grabs yours, pulling you down so that your face is resting next to his. He whispers something, but it’s so quiet you can barely hear.

“What was that?” you ask, leaning even closer.

He takes a deep breath, coughing as blood starts to seep from his mouth. It’s dark, almost black; it’s not your blood. He’s still dying.

“… _I love… you_.”

Your eyes widen, scanning his face desperately as he releases a long, rattled sigh. His eyes are staring over your shoulder, up at the sky; unblinking, glossy, devoid of life. Your chest heaves quickly as a desperate sob racks your body, shaking your head as you blink away tears.

Noctis is dead.

With your blood in his system.

… What kind of fate did you just sentence him to?


	17. Life After Death

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FINALE~! Hope everyone enjoyed the series C: feedback is always loved and appreciated, especially because this series is very near and dear to my heart ;D
> 
> ♥ Alex

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

Death: it’s a natural part of life, and yet it never gets easier to cope with a loss.

You lost your mother, but since you were able to say goodbye to her before her passing, you were at peace.

You lost your brother, mauled to death on Christmas Eve. You lost your father, his neck snapped right in front of you. But, since you were able to execute their killer, you were at peace.

You lost Ven, but since he was able to come back to you, you were at peace. He might be cursed to an immortal life as a monster, but at least he’s still with you.

You lost Noctis, and there is no peace to be found. Within the next 24 hours, he will come back to life, and you will start your long journey coping with the guilt of transforming the kind and stoic detective into an abomination. Should you have just let him die…? No, you were selfish, and you weren’t ready to say goodbye.

Only one thing will be able to alleviate your guilt, you realize with a frown as you tear yourself away from Noctis’ lifeless body. You feel weak, shaky, nauseous with crippling pain, but you manage to glance over your shoulder, glaring at the smirking figures behind you.

“Why did you shoot him?” you ask, your teeth practically gritted together.

“My hand slipped,” Sephiroth mocks with a shrug.

You scoff, turning your attention back down to Noctis. He looks so peaceful, it’s strange to think that he’ll be alive again in hours. Your head is spinning, plagued by Hayner, Noctis, and your father’s lifeless eyes. You would fight and avenge them, even if it meant your demise. Slowly and carefully, you crawl to your feet. Your wounded knee buckles slightly, but you’re able to hold your balance as you turn around to face Sephiroth and Leblanc. Your hand is clutched behind your back, fingers fiddling with Roxas’ pistol. There’s only enough for three shots, you need to be quick and precise.

“Do you really think you’re faster than me?” Sephiroth muses as he takes a step towards you. “You forget we outnumber you. And that your lovely step-mother is a powerful witch.”

Your eyes widen, your grasp on your gun loosening. She is…?

“I think you surprised her,” Leblanc teases, a smug smile on her face.

“You’re right, she’s never been the smartest tool in the shed,” Sephiroth agrees, stopping in front of you. His arm shoots out, his fingers squeezing around your neck. Frantically, you drop the gun and grab at his wrist as he lifts you off of the ground and into the air. “Without your daddy and your meddling little friends, you’re really nothing special, are you? I could squash the life out of you, right now.”

His grip tightens, and you gasp desperately for air. You try to kick your legs out to hit him, but you can barely move; your body is in shock. Your gaze drops to Noctis for a second as your mind grows fuzzy, refusing to meet the furious gaze of Sephiroth any longer.

A rattled cry suddenly rings through the air, and you glance up in the direction of the noise. A long blade is sticking through Leblanc’s chest, right where her heart is. She falls to the ground, revealing Roxas standing there, a bloodied sword clenched in his hand. Slowly, he cracks his neck, a small smirk on his face as his gaze darts over to Sephiroth.

“I think your witch is dead,” Roxas states dryly.

The grip on your throat is loosened, and you collapse to the snow in a heap. Cool air enters your throat, and you take deep breaths of air.

“You didn’t think we’d miss out on the fun, do you?”

You peer out of the corner of your eye, Vanitas suddenly standing behind you. A stake is grasped in his hand, and he twirls it around his fingers as his golden eyes stay locked on Sephiroth’s figure.

“Tell your sons hi,” he adds, eyes flashing red as he rushes forward, embedding his stake straight through Sephiroth’s chest.

The wood pierces his heart, and the silver-haired man screams as he stumbles backwards. His entire body is starting to turn gray, like the color of granite. Slowly, he glances down at himself, a cry escaping his lips before he falls to the ground. Before his body can even hit the snow, he disappears in a poof of smoke. All that’s left behind is a pile of gray dust and a bloodied stake.

Your hand is very lightly grasping your throat, eyes locked on what’s left of your father-in-law. It… was over. It was over! He and Kadaj are gone, along with your step-mother. The months of hell and misery are finally over, and the healing can hopefully begin.

“Are you okay?” Roxas asks, kneeling before you.

The second your eyes meet his blue ones you start desperately gasping for breath, leaping up and throwing your arms around his neck. His body stays tense for a second before he sits in the snow, cradling you in his lap as an arm wraps around your waist.

“T-The gun,” you stammer, burying your face in his neck. “I’d be dead if it wasn’t for you, Roxas.”

His lips curl up in a small smile as he rests his lips against the top of your head in a gentle peck.

“Sorry we couldn’t intervene sooner,” Vanitas speaks up, and with a sniffle you pull back slightly from the blond and glance over at his older brother. He’s standing by Noctis, staring down at the dark-haired male. “Had to wait for the right moment.”

“You…” you trail off, eyes narrowing in anger as your hands drop to your lap. “You could have stopped Noctis dying… and you didn’t?!”

Roxas tries to hold you down, but you wiggle out of his grasp as you stand up. You quickly limp over to Vanitas, grabbing him by the sleeve of his tuxedo jacket.

“He’s a vampire now! Did you know that? I get to live for the rest of my life knowing that I did this to him!” you cry, angrily shaking his arm.

“After 300 years, I’d let a million Noctis’ die. It had to end, [Name].”

You pause, eyes softening as you stare up at the male.

“We really are sorry,” Roxas adds as he walks towards you.

You grimace as another surge of pain courses through your knee, causing you to buckle down to the ground. It was a miracle you still had consciousness after all of the blood loss, and the wooden bullet is still lodged in your knee.

“What happened to you, anyway?” Vanitas asks.

“Shot. By a wooden bullet.”

They both glance at each other before quickly sitting down beside you. Vanitas starts to hike up your dress, and you immediately shoo his hand away.

“Stop, I’m not in the mood,” you complain.

He rolls his eyes as Roxas pulls out a small pocket knife, handing it to his brother.

“Get your head out of the gutter. I need to get that bullet out of you,” he explains, resting your leg in his lap. “It’s going to hurt.”

You’re about to ask what he’s talking about, but you’re cut off when his knife suddenly digs into the underside of your knee. Roxas’ hand covers your mouth, but your muffled screams still echo throughout the night’s sky.

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

Axel and Zack pause, looking at each other as quiet screams break the silence of the outdoors.

“[Name]?” Zack guesses.

“Sounds like it,” Axel agrees with a nod before glancing over his shoulder. “Hey, Ven! Come on!”

The blond’s blue eyes, however, a relocked on the crumpled figure before him. While the three of them were out combing through your yard, he happened to stumble over a pair of legs connected to none other than your brother. Hayner’s dead body has been hidden behind the shed, and your father’s body was a few feet away, collapsed in the snow. Something bad had happened, and now you’re missing.

“Hey, Ve… whoa.”

Ven glances over his shoulder, standing up straight as Zack and Axel walk towards him.

“Is that Hayner?” Zack asks in a near whisper.

“Yeah. Mr. Webster’s over there,” Ven adds, pointing to your father’s lifeless body.

“… Okay, we need to find them,” Axel decides, turning on his heel and jogging away, towards the source of the screams heard earlier.

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

After the bullet was removed from your knee, you felt like a new person. It hurt terribly, but after only seconds you could feel the wound mending itself, and life rushing back through your veins. Just as Roxas and Vanitas were about to carry Noctis’ body inside to hide in your room, Ven, Zack, and Axel appeared out of nowhere, out of breath and panicked.

You were in a daze, however. The night was so long, and now that you were healed you could feel nothing but exhaustion, mentally and physically. Quickly excusing yourself you led the way inside, Axel and Vanitas carrying Noctis’ limp body. People stared at your group, but your gaze is locked on the ground. You can hear Ven and Zack telling the party-goers something about a ‘horrible tragedy’ outside. It’s really a blur, though. Before you know it you’re standing in your room, watching silently as Vanitas and Axel lie Noctis down on your bed. Axel’s nice enough to slide Noctis’ widened eyes closed, and the two of them exit your room with sympathetic smiles.

A hand slides down your face as you sit down beside Noctis, resting your back against your pillows. Your hands gently grab one of his in yours, resting it on your lap as you curl up against his body. A tear rolls down your cheek as you slowly shut your eyes, praying for a better day in the morning.

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

A feathery-soft sensation runs down your cheek, drawing you from your deep slumber. Rubbing your sleepy eyes, you blink a few times as your vision adjusts to the dark room. You turn your head to the side, breaking out in a smile when you realize Noctis is awake, watching you like a hawk. One of his hands is gently cupping your cheek, his fingers tracing light patterns on your skin.

“You’re awake,” you breathe out with a sigh of relief, sitting up slightly.

“And confused.”

“Oh… Yeah,” you agree, biting your lower lip as he sits up as well.

His hands gently grab yours, pulling them up as he places a light kiss on your knuckles.

“I think I finally figured it out,” he muses with a small smile.

“And… just what would it be that you figured out?”

“That all this time I was stupid enough to miss out on all of the signs that you’re a vampire.”

Your eyes widen as he releases your hands, and your arms fall lamely to your side as you gape up at the man.

“How did you-“

“It’s not a normal activity to drip blood into a dying man’s mouth, is it? Plus you were always asking questions, wanting to know information… Kind of obvious.”

You run a hand through your hair as you crawl over towards the male, pausing slightly as you study his gaze; would he accept any form of affection from you? He rolls his eyes before placing a hand on your waist, leading you forward so that you’re curled up in his lap. With a hint of a smile you cup his face in your hands, holding his gaze.

“I would have told you if I could, but I had to be safe. I’m not the only one. Hell, when you met me I wasn’t even one…”

“Really?” he asks, his voice sounding more emotional than usual.

One of his hands brushes some hair from your face, his fingers leaving a cool sensation in their path. You nod slowly, taking a deep breath.

“You’re a… vampire, Noctis. I tried to save you, but… you died with my blood in your system. You’re in transition now.”

He’s still smiling, like you just told him that there’s a huge pancake breakfast waiting for him downstairs. Did he not hear you…? You open your mouth to repeat your statement, but you’re cut off as he leans forward, pressing his lips against yours as one of his hands rises up and rests on the back of your neck.

“I know,” he murmurs against your lips, nuzzling your nose gently. “Your friends told me when I woke up hours ago. You slept through it.”

… Well, that explained his calm demeanor. You needed to thank them for saving you the discomfort. But, for now, you focus on letting out a laugh as you wrap your arms around his neck, pulling him into a hug. He tumbles back from the impact, chuckling as he curls up beside you on your bed.

“I’m sorry, for causing all of this,” you mutter as his head rests in the crook of your neck.

“It’s not your fault,” he replies quietly.

Silence falls over the two of you as you lie in your dark room, contemplating the old lives you’re leaving behind, and the new ones waiting ahead.

❤~ **One Week Later** ~❤

Black.

Black is the theme of the day. Your dress is black, your gloves are black, even the lace veil covering your face is black. You were the picture-perfect image of the grieving daughter and sister, standing alone next to the priest before the two coffins waiting to be buried. Half of the town is standing behind you, all dressed in black. The veil is hiding your face, but you do not shed a tear. Though you miss your father and brother, you’re happy to know that they’re at peace.

The look in your father’s eyes when he shot you and called you a monster is seared in your memory. It hurt more than you thought was possible, and was probably helping to keep you from falling into a pit of despair. They died before you could disappoint them any further, after all.

“Do you have any words?”

You glance towards the priest, who’s watching you expectantly. Six pairs of eyes can be felt on you from the men standing directly behind you, searing into the back of your head.

“… I’m sorry,” you murmur as you drop your head, eyes fixed on the empty holes in the ground.

What else can be said?

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

You watch in morbid curiosity as your father’s coffin is slowly lowered into his grave. It was strange, to think his life ended just as yours began. What would happen to you now? Since you’re the last remaining Webster, you are the sole heir to your father’s massive fortune… but the thought of wasting your life away in Dover Hills is unacceptable.

With no one to hold you back, would you depart from the town and start what is sure to be a strange journey with your new companions? Would Ven join you, and Noctis?

Only time will tell.

“[Name].”

You glance out of the corner of your eyes as a flash of blond appears beside you. The lace of your veil shields your face, but you start to smile slyly.

“Ven,” you greet, turning your attention back to the graves.

“Let’s get out of here,” he suggests, pecking the top of your head as he gently grabs your hand.

With a tug on your arm he pulls you away, and you slowly tear your gaze from the graves, focusing instead on the man beside you.

“To go where?” you ask softly.

You’ve barely said more than 10 words today, you note with a small frown.

Ven suddenly comes to a stop, turning towards you as he rips the veil from your head, tossing the black lace to the grass.

“Hey,” you complain, narrowing your eyes at him. “I liked that.”

“Yeah, well I didn’t. There’s a healthy level of grieving, and this isn’t it. It’s not like you to give up.”

“I’m not giving up,” you argue, pressing the heel of your shoe against the veil, grinding it into the grass. “I’m just sad. Confused… Alone.”

“Hey,” Ven murmurs, running a finger down your cheek as he smiles softly, “you’re not alone.”

“He’s right,” a voice speaks up, and you glance over your shoulder to see Zack, Axel, Noctis, Vanitas, and Roxas standing there, watching you and Ven closely.

“As much as it hurts, you kind of… have a new family now,” Zack points out with a laugh.

“A sick, twisted family, but a family nonetheless,” Roxas adds, smirking wryly.

You glance towards Noctis, who’s nodding in agreement.

“You’re leaving with them?” you ask with a raise of your eyebrows, turning to fully face them.

“Can’t really go back to my old job, can I?” he muses sadly.

“Hate to break it to you, but you’re coming with us. It’s always safer to travel in a pack,” Axel tells you.

“A pack,” you repeat, chuckling lightly as you glance up at the sky. For the first time in months, the sun can be seen peeking through the clouds. “I like that.”

“Then get home and pack a bag. We’re leaving tonight,” Vanitas informs you.

“Just one bag?!” you cry, and they all simultaneously roll their eyes.

❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

Dresses, shoes, undergarments, bread, apples, water canteens, a bottle of whiskey... Somehow you were able to fit all of the essentials in your large duffel. Most of your father’s fortune is at his bank in Richmond, the rest shoved away in your bag. The family home will stay in your possession, at least for now. You weren’t ready to say goodbye to your home, not yet. At least the servants could stay in your house while you’re away.

The sun in just starting to set, giving the town an orangish glow. As sad as you are to leave, a shiver of excitement runs up your spine. How many times had you craved to leave, to run off and create a new life for you? And now you had not just Ven by your side, but five more companions.

Six men, all of whom have wound their way into your heart. You really cared for them, each one of them, in their own way.

Ven, your first love.

Zack, whose good looks and charm never wavered.

Roxas, who somehow represents the perfect balance between dark and light.

Noctis, the intellectual who had placed you up on a pedestal since you first met him.

Vanitas, possibly a little deranged, but he stirred something inside of you that you’ve never felt before.

Axel, fiery, feisty, and always challenging you.

As much as you cared for the six of them… you knew deep down that actual love was felt for only one.

And you smile, actually smile, for the first time in days as your heart starts to melt.

Love.

You _loved_ him.

It was so obvious, so painfully obvious.

… Now, what do you do about it?

[♥]

♥ **VEN** ♥

Your bag long forgotten, your legs send you flying down the empty street. You’re practically a blur as you run faster than you ever dreamed possible, desperate to reach your destination. Finally, with a sigh of relief, you find yourself on Ven’s doorstep. With a deep breath, you reach a hand out and pound on his front door as loud as you can. After a few knocks you drop your arm, all but bouncing on your heels as you take a step back. It’s dead quiet; has he left already, for the hideout? Just as you’re about to start knocking again, the door slides open, revealing a smiling Ven.

“Hey,” he greets, leaning a shoulder on the door frame.

You grin, throwing yourself into his arms as you bury your face into his neck. He stands still for a second before his arms wrap around your waist, holding you close. Your hands are clutching desperately at his back, unable to find a satisfying level of closeness.

“Are you okay?” Ven asks, gently running a hand up and down your back.

“More than,” you agree, releasing a content sigh.

Ven raises a hand to your cheek, lifting your head up so that you’re staring at him. His blue eyes are sparkling in the glow of twilight, watching you like you’re a prized porcelain doll.

“I love you,” you murmur, such a wide smile on your face that your cheeks are starting to hurt. “I love you, Ven, I love you so much.”

There’s a look of surprise on his face, and the hand resting on your cheek starts to soften. Your heart races; did he change his mind? Did the new Ven not feel the same as the old one? Finally, he breaks out in a grin, pulling you closer as his lips crash against yours. There’s a sense of hunger in his touch as he starts to lead you backwards, inside of his house. The kiss deepens as his hand rests against the back of your neck, holding you against him. After much too short of time you break the kiss, resting your cheek against his as you pant for air.

“I love you, too,” Ven mumbles in your ear, a hand running through your hair. “I’ve always loved you, I’ll always love you.”

You laugh as he gently nips your ear, pulling back to stare up at him. He looks so happy, carefree… alive. A sly smirk suddenly grows on his face as he leans down to kiss you again, his lips gently pressing against yours.

“Y’know, we have an hour before we need to leave…” he tells you, his eyebrows raising slightly.

A giggle escapes your throat as he drags you up the stairs and towards his room, his hands never leaving your body. A part of you wonders what took you so long to realize your feelings for the man… but all thoughts of lost moments are erased as his lips once again find yours, hunger, desperation, and unending adoration flowing through you.

♥ **ZACK** ♥

One hand clutched around your bag and the other on the door handle to your front door, you’re more than ready to leave behind this house and venture forth into your new life. And, just as you wrench the door open, you’re greeted by the person you’ve been most eager to see. He’s consumed your thoughts since you first met him, unable to erase his intoxicating smile from your memory. Zack’s blue eyes are widened, hand up in the air as if he was about to knock.

“Oh… hi,” Zack greets, laughing sheepishly as he drops his hand to his side.

“Hey,” you mutter, adjusting your bag in your arms. “What brings you here?”

“Just wanted to see if you’re ready… Everyone wants to leave.”

“Oh…” Disappointing, to say the least. You were hoping he was there to sweep you off your feet, declare his love… all that sappy stuff. “Yeah, I’m ready.”

“You okay?” Zack asks, taking a step back as you move to shut your door.

“Just tired,” you lie, hauling the bag up in your arm.

Zack smiles, swiftly taking your bag from your arms and carrying it as the two of you make your way down the stairs of your porch. It’s silent between the two of you, something that’s very unusual. You’ve never seen him stay quiet for longer than two minutes.

“Are you okay?” you ask as the two of you walk away from your house, towards the forest waiting in the distance.

Zack sighs, ruffling his dark hair. Actually, now that you’re really looking at him, he looks rather conflicted. Upset, even.

“I just…” he trails off, glancing down at you, “I’m not sure what’s going to happen.”

“With what?” you press.

“Us.”

Your heart skips a beat.

“Us?” you repeat, watching him as he comes to a stop. You pause as he tosses your bag onto the snow-covered ground, taking a step towards you. “There’s an ‘us’?”

Zack’s hands rise up, cupping your face. His thumbs gently stroke your cheek as he tilts your head up, his eyes locking with yours.

“If you want there to be,” he agrees, looking nervous for the first time since you’ve met him.

You break out into a smile as you slowly nod your head.

“I… do,” you agree, leaning into his touch. “More than anything.”

You barely have time to catch your breath before he pulls you flush against him, his lips finding yours as you automatically wrap your arms around his waist. The kiss deepens as he tilts his head, one of his hands winding its way into your hair. A slight tug on your locks sends your senses into overdrive, pulling him closer as the hunger grows. He slowly breaks the kiss, sending a light trail of kisses down your jaw.

“I love you,” you breathe out in a whisper as he gently nips your neck.

You can feel him pause, the hand that had been running through your hair stilling. He pulls back slightly, staring down at you with wide eyes.

“You do?” he clarifies.

“Yeah, I… think I might have for awhile. It just took me some time to figure it out.”

Zack smiles as he wraps his arms around your shoulders, pressing your body dangerously close to his. You can feel him nuzzle his nose into the top of your head, and you sigh as you allow yourself to fall limp in his arms, feeling truly happy for the first time in weeks.

“I love you, too,” he murmurs into your hair.

A slight blush grows on your face as he stares down at you, the admiration clear in his gaze.

“So… what now?” you ask with a small laugh.

“Well…” he muses, sliding a finger down your cheek, “I don’t think they’ll mind waiting just a little longer.”

A dark flush crosses over your cheeks as he suddenly presses your back against a tree, his lips crashing against yours as you clutch desperately at his jacket.

Who would have dreamed that inviting this mysterious stranger that had showed up on your doorstep into your house all those nights ago would turn out to be the best decision of your life?

♥ **ROXAS** ♥

It had snuck up on you so quickly, it was hard to decipher when exactly these feelings blossomed. But as time went on you had found yourself sneaking looks at the moody blond, your thoughts trailing to him as you lied in bed at night… He was always there in one way or another, the object of your affection.

It’s with great determination that you march towards the hideout in the forest, your bag tucked away under your arm. It was time to just tell him how you feel, to stop hiding behind your shyness. Besides, it’s not like it’s one-sided. He had saved your life with those wooden bullets, and had snuck in many kisses when no one else was around. No, he liked you, too. He had to.

“[Name]?”

You come to a stop, freezing in your tracks at the sound of a very familiar voice. You peer over your shoulder, blushing a bit when you spot Roxas standing behind you.

“Where are you running to?” he asks, walking towards you.

“Uh… To find you,” you admit with a small shrug.

“Really?” he asks, the smug smirk wiped from his face. He suddenly looks surprised, anxious even. You drop your bag to the snow-covered ground as he stops in front of you. “Why?”

“I… I have something to say,” you murmur, fiddling with your fingers as you avoid his gaze.

How do you phrase this? What will he say, once you tell him? What if he laughs in your face, and calls you stupid? Stopping your thoughts, Roxas reaches a hand out and runs his fingers through your hair, tucking some stray locks behind your ear.

“What is it?” he presses, his voice soft.

“I…” spit it out, “I think I like you, Roxas.”

His blue eyes widen, scanning your face carefully. His fingers fall from your hair, and it looks as if he’s having a hard time breathing.

“You… do?” he repeats.

Nervously, you start to nod, glancing towards the ground.

“Y-Yeah, but it’s okay if you don’t feel the same way! I just… I had to tell you. I’m sorry.”

Finally, he breaks out into a grin as one of his arms wraps around your waist, tugging you towards him in a loose hug.

“Don’t apologize,” Roxas murmurs into your ear, his breath tickling your skin. His free hand starts to slide down your neck, causing a shudder to climb your spine. “I think I’ve fallen for you as well.”

Your heart swells, a silly grin grows on your face, and your cheeks flush as you throw your arms around his shoulders, burying your face into his neck. You can hear him chuckle as you pull back, but you’re barely able to catch a glimpse of his face before his lips lower to yours. He pulls you closer, both of his arms around your waist as your lips gently meld together. Your fingers find his hair as the kiss deepens, your repressed feelings immediately released in the best way you know how.

“You make me happy,” he mumbles against your lips, pulling back as you release a quiet laugh.

“Really?” you ask timidly.

“Yeah. I feel… human,” he realizes with a chuckle. “Is that weird?”

You quickly shake your head, resting a hand on the side of his face.

“Not at all, Roxas.”

He grins as he pulls you closer against him, his lips gently pressing against yours in a sweet kiss.

And really, what more could you ask for?

♥ **NOCTIS** ♥

Just as you’re buttoning up your bag, all thoughts focused on the recently realized feelings of love coursing through you, a quiet knock on your door suddenly distracts your thoughts. You glance over your shoulder, butterflies growing in your stomach when your eyes land on a certain dark-haired male standing in your doorway.

“All packed?” he asks, stepping inside of your room.

“Yeah, I think so,” you agree, turning your attention back to your bag sitting on your bed.

You can barely look at him, the guilt consuming you. Though he’s told you countless times he doesn’t blame you for his transformation… it still hurt you, knowing what you had sentenced him to. Your back stiffens as he suddenly stands behind you, his hands resting on your shoulders.

“Are you ready?” he asks quietly.

You can feel his chest pressed against your back, holding you close against him. The cool room has suddenly become quite hot, almost uncomfortably so.

“You’re not still sulking, are you?” he adds, and you can practically hear the smile on his lips.

“… No,” you lie, peering up at the taller male. He’s watching you with an amused expression. “Okay, maybe a little bit.”

“Stop. It’s not your fault,” he tells you as you turn in his arms. Your hands gently rest on his chest as his arms move down, wrapping around your waist. “I’m happy, actually. I feel more alive now than I ever have.”

From the smile on his face, you know he’s telling the truth.

“And besides… Now, I get to stay with you,” he adds, leaning down to rest his forehead against yours.

“I can’t wait,” you admit softly, a shy grin growing on your lips.

One of your hands move up to his neck, your fingers gliding across his skin as he leans down and presses his lips against yours. The kiss is soft, gentle, and with a tiny smirk you pull him down so that both of you fall backwards onto your bed. He breaks the kiss, staring down at you as you rest your head against your comforter.

“I love you, Noctis,” you murmur, a hand cupping his cheek as he moves forward, his body hovering over yours.

His cheeks actually flush a bit as he stares down at you, before he leans down to kiss your forehead.

“And I you,” he mumbles, tilting your face up as he crashes his lips against yours.

Clothes are strewn about and forgotten as he presses his body against yours, lips barely breaking apart for air as you lose yourself in his gaze and his touch.

♥ **VANITAS** ♥

It was strange, realizing that you have feelings for such an eccentric man. Hell, the guy killed you. But, you couldn’t avoid what you felt every time he glanced you way, or touched you. It was carnal, and it was unavoidable.

“Hey,” you greet, jogging forward once your eyes land on a familiar head of dark-hair. He’s meandering through the trees, but doesn’t stop. You roll your eyes, adjusting your bag in your arms as you march towards him. “Vanitas!”

You reach out and grab his arm, forcing him to a stop. He peers over his shoulder at you, a blank expression on his face.

“What’s the matter?” you ask, a sense of annoyance rising in you.

He shrugs, turning around to fully face you.

“Nothing. Just figured you’d want your space, after the funeral.”

“So that means you ignore me when I call out your name?” you retort, your eyebrows ticking up slightly.

Vanitas starts to smirk, releasing a soft laugh.

“Alright alright, sorry. What’s up?” he asks, resting a hand on your shoulder.

“Nothing, I just uh… I was thinking about you, and I-“

You’re cut off as his hand slides down your back, pulling you flush against him as his lips crash against yours. The kiss is deep and rough as his free hand cups your cheek and your arms slowly wind around his midsection, holding him close against you. The kiss is broken, his lips instead gently attaching themselves to the nape of your neck.

“What were you going to say?” he breathes out against your neck, his teeth nipping the sensitive flesh.

What were you going to say…? You’re in a haze, all focus lost at the feeling of his hands, teeth, lips…

“I think I like you, Vanitas,” you finally admit, your voice in a quiet whisper.

He pauses his ministrations, pulling back slightly so that his golden eyes are studying you warily. A shadow of a smirk grows on his lips as he replies:

“… That’s nice.”

So maybe it wasn’t perfect… but damnit you were happy, and that’s all that matters.

**♥ AXEL ♥**

A certain red-haired male had been consuming your thoughts as of late, and it was almost laughable that it took you this long to figure out why. Of course you had feelings for him! Why wouldn’t you, with his breathtaking good looks and generally upbeat attitude? After he had gotten to know you, Axel had turned out to be nothing less than an amazing person, both inside and out.

And it is this realization keeping you going as you march towards the woods, bag clutched in your hand. Just as you’re about to enter the forest, a hand grabs your wrist and pulls you to a stop. You glance back, immediately grinning when you spot the redhead smirking behind you.

“And just where do you think you’re going, without me?” he asks slyly as you turn to face him.

“I was going to find you, actually,” you admit with a small shrug.

“Why?” he asks, genuine curiosity showing on his face.

You glance down at his hand gently cupping your wrist, the contact sending your senses wild.

“I missed you,” you finally admit, your gaze darting back up to him.

Though he looks surprised, he quickly breaks out in a grin as he wraps his arms around your waist, pulling you so close against him your back hurts a little at the tightness of his hold.

“That makes me happy,” he tells you, his mouth resting near your ear.

You giggle lightly as he leans down, kissing your neck. His lips travel upwards, butterfly kisses left in a light trail as he moves to your jaw, your cheeks, and finally your lips. The kiss almost automatically deepens as your arms wrap around his neck, tilting your head to allow him better access. The fiery passion between the two of you cannot be contained even by the cold snow surrounding you, and by the time you break for air you’re both breathless.

“If I tell you something, do you promise not to laugh?” you ask, panting slightly for air.

He nods, leaning into your touch as one of your hands rests against his cheek.

“You can tell me anything, [Name].”

You bite back a smile, heart racing with nerves.

“… I think I've fallen for you, Axe.”

His emerald eyes widen, absorbing the words. You could die of fear right then and there. Would he reject you? Before you can continue contemplating your potential broken heart, he releases a chuckle as he leans down to capture your lips in a short, gentle kiss.

“I’d never laugh at that,” he mutters against your lips, eyes fluttering open as he stares down at you. “I have for you, too.”

The smile is wiped from your face as his lips meld with yours, arms wrapping tighter around your waist as he holds you impossibly close.

You couldn’t think of a better way to start this new journey.


End file.
